


tongue tied

by momsasuke



Series: naruto mall au [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Making Out, Marijuana, Piercings, Romantic Comedy, Shopping Malls, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, eventual angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2019-10-08 03:37:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 43,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17378846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momsasuke/pseuds/momsasuke
Summary: Kiba starts to bring his newest service dog in-training to the mall and slowly begins to find himself admiring Kankuro, the piercing pagoda worker, from afar. Intimidated by Kankuro's cold outer persona, Kiba decides to get piercings in order to talk to his crush.





	1. Chapter 1

At approximately noon, the mall radio station switches from soft pop toons that both mothers and teens could bop their heads to and instead begins the two hour long 80’s best hits compilation. Kankuro groaned at the ceiling; annoying 80’s music meant he only had forty-five minutes before his shift at the piercing pagoda. Gaara, noticing his brother’s audible annoyance, turned his head towards Kankuro. “At least you don’t have to work a double today, right?” Gaara noted, quietly observing his brother’s face.

Kankuro released a furrowed brow with a sigh. “You’re right. I could be stuck working night shifts like you, brother. How much do you wanna bet Temari is in a bad mood?” He asked as the pair approached the storefront of Sephora. Before Gaara could answer, a fuming Temari came storming out to meet them at the front doors.  
“Let me guess, you didn’t see my note on the counter? I asked you to bring me a lunch, you idiots. And no Kankuro, I don’t want any shitty food court garbage.” Temari huffed, arms folded across her chest.  
Kankuro lowered a half-raised hand silently.

“Perhaps your boyfriend could get you food?” Gaara offered, which earned him rolled eyes. Temari pointed past the Sephora doors and to the vape and phone case stand in the center of the mall hallway where the man in question, Shikamaru, sat with his feet propped up and head back. Asleep on the job. Kankuro was jealous. Temari chuckled, “You think that guy is going to get up and get me food? I’ll ask one of the girl’s coming in for the next shift I guess.” With that, she pulled out her phone and began to text a coworker.

Kankuro, feeling warm under the intense beauty lights of the makeup store, began to roll up his sleeves. His outfit for work was standard: a tight-fitting black button down, black slacks, belt and his beaten-up pair of combat boots. The entire outfit was heavily accessorized with silver rings stacked on nearly every finger, a silver chain connected to his belt, and most noticeably, his eight ear piercings and septum ring. Kankuro’s hair, which he had let grow out for the past few months, was finally down to the nape of his neck at the longest point. Mindlessly, he ran a hand through his hair to sweep the long locks out of his eyes.

Kankuro and Gaara had focused their attention on a new product display when a loud resounding bark sounded off behind them. The three turned to look out the storefront to see a blur of white running, presumably the source of the barking, with a leash dangling behind it and what looked to be a half-eaten hot dog in its mouth. In another blur, a man came chasing after the dog. “AKAMARU! YOU CAN’T EAT TRASH!” In the matter of a few seconds, the two had vanished down the hallway and into the nearby Macy’s. In a similar fashion, security officer Tsunade came storming after the loose dog and its owner. The look of pure anger on her face was hard to miss, regardless of how fast she was running.

The three siblings stood in silence for a beat. Finally, Kankuro spoke up, “This place is a shit show”.

“If I read the email sent out to _all mall employees_ correctly,” Gaara’s tone was dripping with annoyance, directed solely at his brother, “then they are part of a service dog training program that the mall is hosting. Since all of people don’t know how to act around them, it is….beneficial for both parties”. Kankuro turned his back to the whole ordeal. “Considered me ‘benefited’.” As he took a step forward into the store, Gaara’s work phone began to ring. He answered the call with short, polite sentences and then hung up. “They want me to start my shift early. Apparently, the dog made a mess of the food court trash cans.” Gaara tucked his phone back into his pocket. As custodial staff, Gaara wore an unsightly dark blue jumpsuit in a size that completely swallowed him up. Pulling a green baseball cap with the words “STAFF” embroidered on it over his head, Gaara simply nodded towards his siblings and left without another word.

Temari, still upset at her brothers’ lack of competence, returned to work and left Kankuro to wander around Sephora. He didn’t mind; Kankuro wore purple makeup every day, making distinct ‘L’ shapes under his eyes and a single line below his bottom lip that matched his purple lipstick. He knew he stood out like a sore thumb among most people but there was something exciting about being the nonconformist. Other people seemed to be intrigued by the mysterious “bad boy” image he projected; the number of ear piercings given to young women from ages 18-25 had increased 2x since Kankuro had started working there. Kankuro had made the mistake of sharing this fact with Gaara when walking too close to the vape pagoda; when Temari was ultimately told by an eavesdropping Shikamaru, she refused to stop teasing her brother about his new-found popularity. Women ages 18-25 were not the exact demographic Kankuro was hoping to get the attention of…

Just as Kankuro began to browse through the Anastasia section, a cold hand clasped his shoulder from behind. Fear trickled down his spine as he slowly turned to face this mysterious person. Relief did not come when he saw it was his piercing pagoda manager and hot topic coworker Pain. Pain, even more adorned with piercings, had a face so stone cold it made the touch of his hand warm in Kankuro’s mind. “You are going to be late for your shift. We already have a young woman here for a piercing. She requested you.” Pain’s tone was monotone yet annoyed. Kankuro sighed.

“Fuck, someone call America’s Next Top Mall Model for me.” He could feel Temari’s eye roll from across the store, even if she hadn’t heard what he said, and unsurprisingly Pain’s face did not move a muscle. He simply turned to exit the store, and Kankuro knew better than to not follow Pain. As they exited Sephora and approached the piercing pagoda in the center aisle, Kankuro seemed to switch moods completely.

He could tell the customer’s eyes were on him as he moved behind the counter to pull out his name tag from the drawer. Kankuro swept a hand through his hair again but did so as slowly and as sensually as he could muster. He then reached upwards, stretching out his arms enough to ensure that the bottom of his button down pulled up and flash a peak of rosy skin at his hips. Kankuro was putting on a one-man show, and as long as his customers gave him tips, he would continue with the single microscopic shred of dignity he had left. When he finally made eye contact with the obviously flustered customer, Kankuro simply leaned forward with an arm resting on the glass countertop and asked, “Where do you want it?”.

The customer, an attractive young woman with blue-black hair and lavender eyes, turned a dark shade of red. “Oh-I-um,” She spoke so softly that Kankuro had to lean forward to hear her, “just m-my ears pierced, please.” Kankuro put on his latex gloves with a snap and smiled softly at the beet red customer. “Anything for you.” Grabbing the earring gun and piercing kit, Kankuro moved from behind the counter and pointed towards a chair. “Tell me your name.” Kankuro avoided eye contact as he began to disinfect his piercing gun. The shy types usually responded well to his cool demeanor.

The young woman tucked a lock of hair behind each ear to give Kankuro access to disinfect her earlobes. “I-I’m Hinata. I work at the Bath & Body Works upstairs, next to the Hot Topic. You work there as well, right?” Kankuro raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I do. You must be new; I would have recognized a pretty face like yours.” In his head, Kankuro continued to think of the faux leather belt he would purchase with her tip. The belt would get him through this forced flirting. He began to mark a reference dot in purple marker on Hinata’s ears to guide the piercing.

Hinata gave a shy smile. “Y-yes, I’m new. I told my manager Chiyo that I was looking to get my ears pierced and she said you all do a good job. But she also told me that the scary looking guy who works at Hot Topic-Pain, I think his name was- also worked here and that I should request you instead.” She finished in a hushed whisper, as if Pain himself was looming behind her to collect her head. With an audible “1,2,3”, Kankuro punched the earring through Hinata’s right ear and quickly punched the second through the other. With the click of the gun, Kankuro felt his ego melt into a helpless puddle inside him.

_She requested me because Pain’s a freak of nature. Great. Guess I can kiss the “eye candy” tip away…_ Kankuro thought to himself as he quietly packed up his kit and returned behind the counter. He quickly packaged up a piercing maintenance and cleaning kit for Hinata and ran up her bill. Hinata, still in a daze from the abruptness and pain of her new piercings, fumbled awkwardly for her wallet. “T-Thank you. How long do these need to stay in again?” She asked, taking her debit card out of the reader. Kankuro sighed as he watched her select “no tip” on the touch screen. “4 to 6 weeks. I’d recommend 6 weeks unless you want to take ‘em out sooner. I don’t care.” The crabby and unsocial Kankuro was back and the dream of faux leather belts were mixed with the melted pool of his ego. He then turned his back to Hinata and began sorting through some drawers. Hinata stood there for a second before grabbing her piercing maintenance kit and turning to leave.

Exiting the Macy’s just ahead of her was a disheveled Kiba and a highly amused Akamaru. “Kiba! What on earth happened to you?” Hinata called, waving Kiba down. “If you think I look bad, you should see officer Tsunade. She knocked into someone’s tray when chasing me through the food court.” Kiba chuckled before walking towards Hinata. The soreness of his legs from running was starting to kick in and Kiba winced as he stepped.

Kankuro, eavesdropping with his back still turned to the two, recognized this must be the guy chasing the dog he had seen earlier. Intent to hear more without having to actually engage in a conversation, he continued to keep his back to them. Hinata looked puzzled, “I don’t think I understand?”. “Someone,“ Kiba huffed and shot a menacing glare at Akamaru, who promptly lowered his head, “thought it would be fun to dig through the trash can outside the men’s bathroom in the food court and eat an old hotdog. And no, it wasn’t me this time, Hinata.”

Kankuro wasn’t entirely sure that was a joke.

Hinata smiled at the dog who picked his head up and gave her hand a warm lick. “I guess he’s not quite mall ready yet?” “No, but we will get there. I know we can do this!” Kiba, not capable of staying mad at the goofy Great Pyrenees for too long, reached down and scratched the dog’s head. Kankuro, not exactly sure what the hell was going on just from hearing the conversation, lost interest and slipped a headphone from his back pocket in to drone them out.

A flash of light hit Hinata’s new piercings and caught Kiba’s eye. “Hinata, did you get your ears pierced?” She nodded at the obvious question and touched the still red piercings gently. “Yes, you and Shino are always telling me to take more risks, so I thought this would be a good start.” Kiba slapped a hand on her back and laughed. “Wow, Hinata, you truly are braver than the marines. Say, lets go find Four Eyes and show him your new studs!” Without waiting for her response, Kiba and Akamaru set off towards the sunglass hut on the southern wing of the mall.


	2. Chapter 2

By closing time, Kankuro was _fucking_ exhausted. In his eight hour shift, he managed to do 10 ear piercings, 3 belly button piercings and had scheduled half a dozen more for later that week. His dissolved ego had translated to poor customer service, leaving him with half the tips he would have earned on an equally busy day. He had enough money in his pocket to buy the belt, but not even retail therapy could cheer him up after a day like today.

The mall closed to the public at 9:30pm and the closing employees spent the following half hour cleaning up and getting the store prepped for the following morning. Kankuro’s job was easy: disinfect all equipment, replace any items that were purchased from the glass display case that day and close out the register. Temari usually had a longer list of things to take care of since she worked in an actual store, so Kankuro simply propped his feet up on the display case and rested his hands behind his head. Before Kankuro could close his eyes and try to nap away the throbbing headache building under his forehead, Sai approached his counter with a soft smile.

Sai was the resident caricature artist in the mall and the two had a casual acquaintance. Through their brief interactions, Kankuro had tried _hard_ to flirt with Sai, with no luck. Sai seemed like a good fit in Kankuro’s eyes: he typically wore all black, he was also an artist, and he appeared to share a mutual distaste for most people. Kankuro decided in that moment that getting laid would do more for his mood than some stupid belt anyways.

“Sai, good to see you. You heading out?” Kankuro kept it cool, still leaning back in his chair with feet propped. Sai stopped in front of the counter, flashed Kankuro a slight smile and turned his head down to look at the display counter.

“You sure seemed busy today. Every time I passed by, you had a customer with you.” His eyes scanned the rows of silver and gold studs.

Kankuro, leaning forward slightly in his seat, smirked. _Turn up the charm, man._ “Were you watching me, Sai?” He raised an eyebrow, trying to convey as much sex appeal as possible in such a simple expression.

Sai didn’t look up as he answered, “Yes, an artist is always watching people. I also stared at your sister and brother today to gather familial traits that are expressed in your faces.”

Trying to ignore the mention of his siblings, Kankuro decided to go in for the kill. He quickly stood up, crossed his arms and leaned forward on the glass counter. His face was a few inches away from Sai’s and the abruptness of Kankuro’s movements caused Sai to look up. Once Sai was staring back at him, Kankuro shot an obvious look at Sai’s exposed and toned stomach under the hem of his crop top. Kankuro’s eyes locked back into Sai’s and with seduction dripping from his voice, Kankuro spoke softly “Sai…you’d look hot with a belly button piercing. How about I give you one, free of charge, tonight?” Kankuro fought back the urge to lick his lips. _That would be overkill…_ It had been so long that Kankuro would gladly deal with the wrath of Pain for giving out free piercings.

Sai, completely unaware that Kankuro was hitting on him, simply laughed. “Oh, I personally find piercings to be hideous. Thank you for the offer though.” Sai pulled back and seemingly took the air out of Kankuro’s lungs with the same movement. As Sai turned to walk away, Kankuro plopped himself back down into his chair. With a deep sigh, Kankuro emptied his lungs of whatever air he was still holding on to. _Today is not my fucking day._

After a few deep sighs, Kankuro finally mustered up the motivation to check on Temari to see if she was finished closing-up Sephora. Temari stood at the storefront with Shikamaru next to her. With a grunt, she pulled down the front gate and locked it in place. Shikamaru reached a hand out to touch her ass (Kankuro fought the urge to gag) before she pulled her boyfriend in for a kiss. The kiss seemed to last for minutes and Kankuro looked away, trying to not think about his sister making out with that loser 50 feet away from him. Kankuro loudly cleared his throat and could hear the loving couple pull away from each other. Temari called out, “Well if you’re so eager to head home, why are you making us wait on you?”

Normally he would love to fire a retort back but Kankuro simply walked out from his counter and locked the half door.

“You seen Gaara?” He asked softly as he approached his sister.

She put a hand on her hip. “He’s stuck in night duty. Look,” she raised a finger to point down the mall hallway to the Lush storefront. Gaara, a blob of navy blue from this distance, was talking to Rock Lee as he locked the Lush front gate.  
Temari clasped her hands together and squeaked, “They are just too cute together! Apparently, Lee waits and walks with Gaara every night.” Shikamaru, clearly not amused, took a hit of his vape.

Just behind them at the vape and phone case pagoda, Asuma had an arm around Temari’s Sephora manager, Kurenai, as he locked up the register. Everywhere he looked, Kankuro saw a couple in love in their own kind of way. Unspoken or too outspoken for his taste. Kankuro felt unwanted and the raw pain in his heart, on top of his accumulating frustrations form the day, was enough to make him wince. He couldn’t remember the last real relationship he shared; his history was muddled with one night stands and friends with benefits. He was sure he never felt loved, never shared his love with another and it seemed like it would remain this way.

Kankuro was so completely absorbed in his own thoughts that it wasn’t until Shikamaru’s ’98 Honda Civic screeched to life that he realized they had already gotten into the car. Since Gaara was working the night shift, they left Temari’s car for him to take home. Kankuro sat quietly in the backseat as Temari and Shikamaru chatted over a Black Keys CD. He decided that as soon as Shikamaru dropped them off, Kankuro would beg Temari for some weed, take his makeup off and try to relax. The headache building in his forehead was shifting into migraine territory and he knew his shitty mood would carry over into tomorrow if he didn’t take it easy tonight.

And so Kankuro fell back into his usual routine. Any time he begun to gain back some confidence in his life, something came along and shoved his face back down in the dirt. He would smoke, go out drinking with friends, dive into a new woodworking project, get another piercing…anything to numb the pain he was feeling inside. After being dropped off at their apartment and bumming said weed off of Temari (who could read Kankuro’s body language and knew he needed it more than her), Kankuro entered his room. He flicked on the light and shut the door behind him. He was greeted by the lifeless eyes of his puppet collection. He plopped himself on his bed and sighed, with a corner of his mouth raised. _Just me and my 20 wooden “friends”. Maybe I should just make a fucking sex doll._ The slight smile on his face faded. Dry humor, even when pointed at himself, wasn’t going to make him feel any better.

Kankuro propped himself up from his bed and reached for one of Temari’s joints on the desk. Placing the joint between his lips and lighting it, he took a hit and inhaled with a deep breath, holding in the smoke for a few seconds before slowly exhaling. He tried to let the stress and negativity from the day seep out of him with the puff of smoke. For now, it would work…but like many things in Kankuro’s life, it was only temporary.

* * *

Kiba had waited for a week after Akamaru’s food court trash can incident before taking him to the mall again. Kiba was sure officer Tsunade would have put him in a head lock if they had shown up any earlier. Staying as far away from the food court as possible, he took Akamaru up to the second floor to visit Hinata at work. This would be good practice for the dog because as soon as they passed the threshold of the storefront, they would be bombarded with a myriad of fragrances, from candles to lotions, which could be distracting for a normal dog. As they approached, Kiba was relieved to see Hinata was working at the front, handing out shopping totes. While Akamaru’s tail and tongue began flapping as they approached the store, the dog didn’t appear to move to run away which was a good start in Kiba’s mind.

“Kiba, Akamaru! It’s good to see you two. My shift ends in a few minutes if you don’t mind waiting for me.” Hinata, still soft spoken, seemed to be radiating with happiness today. Customer service was a good fit for her; she actually enjoyed helping people and even the nastiest of customers wouldn’t dare yell at her. Kiba took a seat at the bench facing Bath & Body Works while Akamaru laid down at his feet.

* * *

 One store over, in Hot Topic, Kankuro and Kakuzu worked in silence in the back of the store, stocking the band t-shirts. Kankuro enjoyed working with Kakuzu because of the silence; he wasn’t loud and annoying like the majority of his coworkers. Just as Kankuro finished stocking The Weeknd shirts ( _Since when did we sell his shirts here?),_ a _crash_ ing noise came from the changing room, barely audible over the metal music blasting on the store radio. Kankuro and Kakuzu shared a look before walking over to the changing room door. When Kakuzu knocked on the door, a familiar voice called out, “Give us a second!”

“Was that D-?” Before Kankuro could finished, the changing room door opened slowly. Out walked a disheveled Deidara with his hair loose from its usual up-do and work lanyard backward on his back. Kankuro glanced inside the room to see an equally messy Sasori fixed his hair and re-tucking in his black button down. Behind Sasori was the source of the noise: a completely shattered changing room mirror. With no expression on his face, Sasori simply shrugged his shoulders, “It was Deidara’s idea _and_ his fault.” He stepped out of the changing room and whispered to Kankuro, “Don’t tell Konan”.

 Kankuro groaned in annoyance, knowing damn well he was going to have to clean up the shattered mirror and come up with a lie to Konan. Kakuzu nodded in understanding and went back to restocking the shirts. Grabbing a dust pan from the staff room, Kankuro carefully began to pick up the broken mirror, trying desperately not to think about what Deidara and Sasori were up to in the changing room.

* * *

 After a few minutes of waiting, Kiba and Akamaru were finally joined by Hinata outside Bath & Body Works. When the three of them got up to walk, Hinata stopped in front of Hot Topic.

“Kiba, you know that it’s Sakura’s birthday soon, right?” She asked, and a puzzled Kiba nodded. “Well, I wanted to get her a birthday gift but I’m out of ideas.”

Kiba stood in thought for a second. “Why don’t you just get her a candle from your work? I’m sure she’d be happy with that.”

Hinata frowned, “I was going to do that but Ino came in last week and bought the entire cherry blossom range for Sakura. I really want to get her something different that she will still like.”

“Well, why don’t we try this place? Hot Topic doesn’t really scream ‘Sakura’ to me, but you never know what weird things they sell.” Kiba offered, taking the lead towards the storefront.

Once inside the store, they were immediately greeted by a soundwave of aggressive metal music that then transitioned into popular rap music. The lack of cohesiveness of music perfectly suited the random nature of the store’s items. Kiba and Hinata were looking over the TV and movie T-shirts when a large hand pulled on Kiba’s shoulder. He was spun around to come face to face with a large, looming figure. Standing at 6’4” with a dark blue mohawk and faintly blue skin, the employee named Kisame gave Kiba a toothy grin.

“No dogs allowed. Company policy.” Kisame pointed a purple painted finger at Akamaru.

Kiba, utterly terrified by Kisame, felt the saliva in his mouth sink like a brick in his throat “H-He’s a service dog in training. We-We’re trying to get them used to busy malls.” Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hinata practically trembling in fright. Normally Kiba would pick on his friend for being so anti-confrontation but judging from the sweat forming in his palms, he was no one to talk.  
Kisame leaned forward, further encroaching on Kiba’s space. “Don’t care. No mutts allowed. That includes you too.” He pointed a finger at Kiba’s chest.

Before Kiba could attempt to accept defeat and leave the store, another employee appeared at Kisame’s side looking displeased. Kisame turned his head to acknowledge his coworker’s presence.

“Kisame, were you threatening our patrons again?” The dark-haired employee asked calmly. _Again…_ Kiba shivered. He read the other employee’s name on his lanyard to be ‘Itachi’. Itachi’s facial expression was stoic and yet threatening in its own way.

Kisame took a step back and straightened up. “I’m…..sorry or whatever.” The tall figure seemed to completely transform just by Itachi’s presence alone. Kisame nodded to Itachi and turned away with a scowl. Kiba felt his heart settle back down to a reasonable pace. He released two clenched fists he was unaware he had been making.

Itachi smiled softly at the two, which somehow made Kiba feel more uneasy. “My apologies about my coworker. He is still working on his customer service skills. Is there anything I can assist you with?”

Kiba just wanted to get the hell out of there, mostly for Hinata’s sake, so he simply shook his head. Itachi continued to smile as he returned to his spot at the cash register.

Noticing that Hinata’s hands were still trembling slightly, Kiba quickly spotted a necklace with a silver flower as the charm. He grabbed the necklace and handed it to Hinata. “How about this?! She obviously loves flowers and the design is pretty unique, so I doubt she’ll have anything like it!” Kiba tried desperately to get Hinata to buy something so they could leave. She looked briefly at the necklace before nodding in agreement.  

They brought the necklace to the register Itachi was at to check out. While Hinata typed in her PIN number, Kiba glanced around the store. There were a few employees stocking the clothes and music sections. One employee with orange hair and piercings in places Kiba wasn’t even aware you could get pierced stood watch, talking to one of the employees folding shirts. One employee, with his back to Kiba, was sweeping what appeared to be a broken mirror in the changing room. _This place is my fucking nightmare_ , He thought to himself, tapping his foot lightly while waiting for Itachi to hand over the receipt. Hinata grabbed the bag and the two of them with Akamaru nearly ran out of the store and down the hallway of the mall.

After a minute, Hinata finally spoke up quietly. “D-did you see the guy with all the piercings? Orange hair?” Kiba nodded. “He works at the piercing place too. Apparently, he goes by ‘Pain’. I would have had to get my ears pierced by him if Chiyo hadn’t told me that they have another employee that works there.”

Kiba stuffed his hands in the pockets of his joggers. “Yeah, that’s lucky for you.”

“I had to request the other guy. He was booked up to 4 days in advanced. Plus,” Hinata gave Kiba a smile and somehow managed to make her voice even more hushed, “he was pretty cute, Kiba.”

He shot her an annoyed glance, “Hinata, for the last time, I don’t need you to be my matchmaker. I’m doing just fine on my own.” Kiba huffed.

Hinata’s smile did not falter as they went down the escalator. “I just want you to be happy, Kiba. Besides, I’ve seen Shino land more dates than you. Isn’t that right, Akamaru?” She teased, and Akamaru barked in agreement.

Kiba groaned. _Not the both of you._ But she was right. He wasn’t doing just fine on his own; in fact, Hinata had helped him arrange nearly every date he had ever been on. He had trusted her judgement in the past…what made this any different? Though if this guy was anything like his coworker, he is probably a complete weirdo.

Kiba’s thoughts were interrupted by Shino, Sakura and Ino approaching them. It was Friday night and the five of them had planned to go out for dinner and watch a movie at Ino’s place. Kiba tried to push his wondering mind aside and focus on his friends. There were few things that could cheer him up more than pizza, a dog, and a good time with friends.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies if this chapter is a bit slow! I wanted to build up Kiba and Kankuro a little emotionally as well as see some of the co-worker dynamics. Thank you for reading! Next chapter is going to be a good one ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kankuro reflects back on previous encounters before deciding to put a little bit more effort in his appearance. Kiba strikes up a deal with Hinata to finally check out this mysterious piercing pagoda worker for himself.

By the time Kiba and his group had returned from the pizza parlor with leftovers in tow, Kiba was itching to kick off his shoes and rest. Sakura sat on the love seat as Ino fussed with the TV controls, while Hinata and Kiba plopped down on the larger couch. Shino, returning from the fridge with 5 beers under his arm, took a seat next to Kiba. Grabbing a beer from the coffee table, Kiba cracked it open with a satisfying _snap_. The feeling of cheap beer settling on the greasy pizza he ate earlier made Kiba start to feel nauseous, but he continued to drink anyways.

The movie selection was enough to make Kiba sick to his stomach. Ino and Sakura had picked Crazy, Stupid, Love without asking the group. Hinata seemed pleasantly content enough and Shino was just glad to be invited. Kiba for one hated romantic comedies and to make matters worse, he noticed a devilish smirk growing on Hinata’s otherwise innocent face.

“Hey Sakura, Ino, you both got your ears pierced at the mall too, right?” Hinata spoke up over the opening scene.

Ino turned her head from the screen to Hinata, “Yeah, why’d you ask?”

Kiba rolled his eyes and sunk slightly into the sofa, knowing exactly where this was going.

“Was the guy who did the piercing scary or just edgy-looking?” Hinata interrupted again. Now only Shino’s eyes were still stuck on the TV.

Ino laughed, “Edgy, I guess.” Sakura nodded her head in agreement.

Hinata smirk grew and Kiba begged silently for the sofa cushions to envelop him. “Would you say he was cute?”

Sakura raised her eyebrows, “Yeah, he was definitely attractive! “

_(“For a guy.” Ino mumbled under her breath.)_

“Hinata, he doesn’t seem like your type?” Sakura asked.

Hinata glanced over at Kiba who now buried his face in his palms. “Oh, not for me. But don’t you think he’d be a perfect match for someone else?”

A pause. Ino and Sakura looked at Kiba and then back at each other. The two erupted in squeals, grabbing eachother’s hands in excitement.  
“Hinata, you are a genius!” Sakura squeaked, overcome with excitement at the prospect of their mutual friend getting back into the game. It had been over a year…

Kiba was certain his face and neck were the same shade of red as his makeup. It took him all the power he could muster to not just get up and leave, and he didn’t want to be rude to his friends….regardless of how annoying they could be to him. Shino remained transfixed on the TV.

Hinata’s smirk had faded to a genuine smile, “See, Kiba? It couldn’t hurt to just talk to him once.”

Kiba looked at her with a furrowed brow, “For the last time, Hinata, I’m doing fine on my own.”

“Oh, c’mon, Kiba! You need to get yourself out there more! Besides, I know Kankuro is friends with Shikamaru and Choji, so he must be a pretty laidback guy.” Ino tried to get Kiba excited, to no avail.

  _Kankuro…so that’s his name._ Kiba thought to himself. Annoyed and feeling the alcohol mixing with his stomach acid, Kiba decided to put this whole ordeal to rest. He stood up so suddenly, even Shino turned to look at him.

“Fine. I’ll make a deal. I’ll walk by the stupid piercing pagoda tomorrow to check him out for myself. If he’s cute, I’ll talk to him. If not, you all have to leave this alone or I’ll pull my hair out.” With hands on his hips, Kiba stood tall above his seated friends.

Sakura, Ino and Hinata all exchanged smiles and high-fives as they agreed to the terms of the compromise. Kiba groaned as he moved to the bathroom, eager to empty both his mind and his stomach.

* * *

Temari, Kankuro and Gaara’s shared apartment felt more cramped than usual with both Shikamaru and Choji over to hang out. The five sat around the small living room, with Shikamaru and Temari resting on one couch while Choji and Gaara sat on bar stools. Shikamaru, Temari and Choji had just finished baking edibles which they left to cool on the coffee table. Kankuro, sprawled out and taking up an entire sofa, held his phone a few inches above his face. The tone of the night was laid back, as they intended to get high and talk or watch some stupid TV show. Gaara didn’t smoke or eat edibles but claimed to just enjoy being around everyone.

 Until the edibles had cooled, Kankuro aimlessly scrolled on his phone. After checking the few social media platforms he used, his email, and even the weather for the following day, Kankuro decided to open up the one app he despised the most: Tindr. He wasn’t sure why he still had the app; he hadn’t touched it in two months since his latest hook-up and didn’t feel like going through the effort of arranging that tonight. Boredom called and so Kankuro found himself swiping through the app once again.

 It only took a few swipes before Kankuro stumbled across a familiar face: Hidan, his co-worker. Hidan’s photo was one of him wearing his hideous black puffy jacket with the obnoxious white fur hood. His caption read “Here for a good time, not a long time” and “Jashinist” with various emojis, from innuendos to skull and cross bones. The whole profile was so cocky and self-absorbed, just like Hidan was in real life. _At least he’s putting everything out in the open…_

  And yet, Kankuro sat staring at Hidan’s profile for longer than he’d like. Kankuro was reminded of one night 3 months prior, when he and Hidan had gone out to a bar after work with Deidara and Sasori. The two left them after about an hour of drinking to go do god knows what. Hidan and Kankuro nursed the awkward silences with alcohol until the conversation was free flowing and their tab nearly drained Kankuro’s bank account (which wasn’t lush with money to begin with). Over the course of the conversation, Hidan’s hand rested on Kankuro’s knee and slowly began to inch closer and closer to his thigh. Kankuro decided to release himself of all inhibition and succumb to his lust. He couldn’t blame it on the alcohol; he had long thought about running his hand down Hidan’s chest when they stocked merchandise, wondering if Hidan would be an arrogant asshole in bed too. Kankuro wasn’t sure what he wanted more: to let Hidan take control of him in a new context or finally put that asshole in his place. Regardless, he got the idea Hidan wouldn’t stick around to cuddle afterwards.

  The two stumbled back to Hidan’s place which was thankfully a short distance from the bar. Not much time passed before the two were practically ripping each other’s clothes off and sloppily fighting for dominance with their tongues. Kankuro was relieved to see Hidan’s stupid puffy jacket discarded on the floor. There was no love or passion in their actions, just a primal desire exacerbated by their mutual intoxication. By the end of the night, the two were bruised and exhausted. Kankuro was actually surprised Hidan didn’t make him get dressed and leave at 1am. Instead the two slept apart from each other, creating a physical distance that would be reflected in their future interactions. Kankuro woke up the next morning before Hidan and quickly got dressed and left without waking him. Wanting to clear his throbbing head, Kankuro walked home in silence, letting the cold morning air detoxify him.

  All of these memories, from the cold touch of Hidan’s lip ring pressing against Kankuro’s lips to the scent of fresh morning air the day after, came flooding back into Kankuro’s mind as he stared at Hidan’s profile. Things had been awkward at work since they had hooked up but for the most part they just didn’t speak to each other. No one at work brought it up, so maybe Hidan was enough of a decent human to not brag about it to others. Probably not.

Desperate to get the smug asshole off his screen, Kankuro decided to swipe his thumb right. He felt a little cheap and desperate, but he definitely wouldn’t say no to hooking up with just about anyone. No match screen came up, and had it been anyone other than Hidan he might have felt a little hurt by this. The next profile was a guy named Shino, who was very clear about his passion for insects in his bio. Kankuro recognized him from working at the Sunglasses Hut in the south wing of the mall. The only bugs in Kankuro’s life were roaches so he chose to swipe left.

The next profile took Kankuro by surprise: Rock Lee. He immediately recognized the cheerful bowl cut wearer as Gaara’s friend, and while Gaara wasn’t one to speak his emotions, Kankuro knew the two shared a close bond. His eyes darted to Gaara who sat on a bar stool while Choji talked about employee drama at Wetzel’s Pretzels. Kankuro’s eyes flashed back to read Lee’s bio when relief flooded over him. Lee, obviously unaware what the true purpose of the app was, wrote that he was looking to make more friends and was told this was the easiest way to reach lots of new people. _Oh thank god, he’s just a doofus,_ Kankuro thought to himself as he swiped left. He couldn’t imagine trying to awkwardly circumvent a conversation with Gaara about his and Lee’s relationship.

 After swiping through Sai, a profile for Sasori and Deidara looking for a third, and a few other strangers, Kankuro hovered his thumb over the app and deleted it with a sigh. He was hopeless and no about of swiping would end that. By this point, the edibles had cooled down enough and everyone (except Gaara) reached for one. The dose was kept low so Choji could eat a “Choji-sized” portion and still be viable. Kankuro indulged, and tried to drown out his thoughts with the current conversation. Shikamaru was telling them about a rumor going around that his boss, Asuma, and Temari’s manager, Kurenai, were caught on security camera having sex in the food court after hours. Despite barely knowing Asuma and Kurenai, Kankuro was certain Asuma himself made up the rumor…

* * *

The next morning came too quickly for Kankuro’s liking. His back was stiff from falling asleep on the living room couch. He got up, desperately trying to crack his back to no avail, and got ready for his shift. That morning he decided to put a little more effort into his appearance in an attempt to regain some of the confidence he had lost in the last few weeks. The air was still chilly with a spring breeze, so Kankuro opted for his black turtle neck. His _tight_ black turtle neck. He paired this with his black ripped jeans, Chelsea boots and a long dagger earring in his right ear, in addition to his seven other loop and stud earrings. He felt good. He _looked_ good. Kankuro stood in front of his mirror, making slight adjustments on his makeup when a sharp knocking on his bedroom door snapped him back to reality.

“C’mon, Kankuro, we’re running late!” Temari continued knocking on his door loud enough to wake up the whole neighborhood. When he finally swung the door open, Temari’s facial expression went from annoyed to shocked. “Well, well, what’s the occasion, big shot?”

Kankuro simply walked past her with fists stuffed into his pockets. “Dunno, felt like giving a shit today.” He grabbed an apple from the kitchen and threw it in his bag. Temari, still feeling like something was up with her brother but didn’t have the patience to wring it out of him, picked up her jacket and bag with a huff. Gaara was already dressed in his jumpsuit and waited for his siblings by the door.

When he finally arrived at work for the piercing pagoda, Kankuro scanned through the daily schedule with a sigh. He was booked solid all day with about thirty minutes crammed into the middle of the day for a break. Luckily, he still had an hour before the first booking to get his bearings. Within a few minutes of opening up, Kankuro was visited by two customers. One, a blonde he vaguely remembered Shikamaru said was named Ino, and another somewhat familiar looking girl with pink hair. They approached him with mischievous grins and giggles. The pink haired one seemed to user for the other to speak as they reached the counter. They scanned over the earrings in the display case before looking up.

“Kankuro, was it?” Ino asked. Confused, but not ready to throw away a potential tip earning situation, Kankuro nodded.  “Great! I was wondering, what sort of earrings from here have you bought your girlfriend? I’m looking for something new and you seem to have good taste.” Ino asked, leaning forward in anticipation of his reply.

_Is she hitting on me?_ Kankuro’s eyes widened and he gave a sheepish laugh, “I’m sorry, I’m single.” He said with a hand rubbing the back of his neck. He figured they weren’t here for a piercing, so he decided to kiss any shot of getting a tip away. “Besides, I’m not exactly interested in-“

Before Kankuro could even finish his sentence, Ino and her friend turned to eachother and clapped hands. They turned to walk away-no, _skip away_. “Thank you, Kankuro~!” Ino called out as they left him in a fugue state. Not entirely sure what had just happened, Kankuro tried to shake his head to catch himself and finally went back to cleaning his equipment.

* * *

Hinata’s phone buzzed in her backpocket as she stocked the seasonal candle section. Not wanting to break the company policy of no phones on the floor, she decided to cut into her break time by checking it in the back. The top message was from Ino to their groupchat: “gAY & SINGLE”. Hinata, knowing exactly what Ino meant, sent a suite of smiling faces and thumbs up emojis. Shino sent a bee and leg emoji, which was his way of saying “Bee’s knees” or “Nice”. Sakura also sent her reply of emojis, including several pictures of cats with hearts around them. The only person who failed to respond in the group was Kiba. Hinata decided to text him herself: “Kiba, stop by my work. You made a promise ;-)”

When Kiba received this message, he felt his stomach flip in protest. He had no idea why he made the stupid bargain in the first place and now his nerves were making him pay for it. He stopped by Bath & Body Works with Akamaru in tow and was glad to see that Hinata was waiting again right by the front. Once she saw him, her lavender eyes lit up with joy.

“Oh, Kiba, you’re here! Nice outfit choice.” Hinata scanned Kiba’s clothing: Talking Heads band tee, blue windbreaker, cuffed skinny jeans and vans. It wasn’t overtly fashionable, but at least it wasn’t stained, which was a step up for Kiba.

Kiba balled his fists up in his jacket pockets. “You wanted me to stop by?”

In one fluid motion, Hinata brought out a bottle of cologne from the store and sprayed Kiba down. He began to cough as he inhaled the mist of fragrance.

“Sorry, Kiba, but you smell like a wet dog. No offense, Akamaru.” Hinata bent down to scratch the dog’s head, and Akamaru seemed to take no offense.

Kiba, now smelling like vanilla and musk, shot an annoyed glance at his best friend. She giggled and motioned for him to leave. “Alright, Kiba, I expect a full report on your findings.”

He rolled his eyes as he turned to walk away, “Yeah yeah, APA or Chicago style?” Hinata simply smiled back and tried her best to calm her excitement for the rest of her shift.

As Kiba took the escalator down to the first floor, he felt his stomach continue to flip itself. All he had to do was look at the guy, tell his friends he wasn’t attractive and they would have to get on with their lives. The escalators descent seemed to crawl forward painfully slow, so Kiba tugged lightly on Akamaru’s leash to get him to walk down the steps instead of waiting. Once down the escalator, he could see the vape and phone case stand, which obstructed his view of the piercing pagoda. Kiba continued down the mall hallways until the stand came into view.

  The man of the hour, Kankuro, stood with his back to Kiba, piercing someone’s ears. Not wanting to just creep up on him, Kiba decided to pretend to browse the vape stand while waiting for Kankuro to turn around. From what he could see, Ino was right to call him “edgy”.  His black turtleneck, pants and shoe combination reminded Kiba of a goth Steve Jobs. Kankuro was a few inches taller than Kiba and seemed to be somewhat fit judging from the lean muscular shape of his arms. Kiba reverted his eyes back to the juul pod display, keeping the corner of his eye on Kankuro’s back.

 Just as Kiba had prepared to just give up and lie to his friends, Kankuro finished the piercing and moved to stand behind the counter. Kiba peeked his head out from behind the vape stand to get a better look at Kankuro’s side profile.

_Shit._

Kiba blinked a few times.

_Holy shit._

Kiba’s eyes scanned down from Kankuro’s chocolate brown hair, down to the sharp angles of his face, his septum ring, the tightness of the turtleneck around his broad chest, down to the flash of a silver belt just barely visible above the counter. Kiba was struck by what appeared to be purple makeup outlining Kankuro’s eyes and lips. He watched sheepishly as Kankuro rang up the customer, smiling brightly at them. When they had left, Kankuro turned to clean up his station.

“Find something yummy?” A large figure popped up from behind the vape counter. Kiba immediately turned a deep shade of burgundy.

Asuma pointed a finger at the juul pods, “Anything sound good? Shikamaru is a fan of the mango ones.”

Relief and somehow even more embarrassment washed over Kiba. “O-Oh, uh, no thank you. I’m not buying anything today.” Kiba raised a hand to say sorry and walked away from a confused Asuma.

 Without thinking, Kiba’s feet carried him to the piercing pagoda. As he approached the counter, he softly knocked on the glass to get Kankuro’s attention. Kiba thrusted his hands in his pockets so no one could see how helplessly they were shaking.

_This is so stupid. WHAT ARE YOU DOING-_

__Kankuro turned around with a raised eyebrow but froze in place when he met Kiba’s eyes. He gave a quick glance at Kiba, from his spiky mess of hair down to his Talking Heads shirt and back up, before settling on his warm brown eyes, offsetting Kiba’s tanned skin.

“H-how can I help you?” Kankuro cleared his throat and found himself unable to turn on his usual charm. 

Again without thinking, Kiba blurted out, “I want to get one of my ears pierced!”

Kankuro was slightly taken aback by his abruptness, though the thought of being so close to a cute guy was certainly not something he was going to pass on.

 “Certainty, I can-“Reality smacked Kankuro in the head as he remembered his full schedule. He glanced down at the booking list and frowned, “Actually, we are running on appointments right now and I’m booked for another week.”

Kiba felt his heartbeat falter briefly. “I don’t care, that’s fine. What time?”

Kankuro resisted the urge to smirk. _Eager, aren’t we?_ He flipped to the next week on the desk calendar. “Next Thursday at 10:30am?”

Kiba nodded wordlessly. Kankuro ripped off a sticky note, jotted something down and handed it to Kiba. “Here, just in case something comes up and you need to reschedule.”

Kiba stared at the sticky note, which had the date of his appointment and a phone number scrawled in a messy script. He took the sticky note and placed it in his back pocket. “Thanks, I can’t wait.” Giving Kankuro a slight smile, Kiba walked away towards the upstairs escalator. Kankuro watched him walk away, not ashamed to check him out so openly, when he noticed Kiba had a large white dog with him. Kankuro’s brain connected the two dots and realized Kiba was the one from the service dog incident earlier. He laughed softly to himself, picturing Kiba’s face when he realized the dog was about to take off across the mall.    

* * *

The rest of Kankuro’s day went on uneventfully and before long he found himself closing up the store as usual. Temari noticed a small smile that was lingering on Kankuro’s lips.

“Anything special happen today?” She asked once in Shikamaru’s car.

Kankuro, staring out the backseat window, felt a small flush creep across his cheeks. “No, why? Did you see something?”

Temari shot Shikamaru a glance and smiled to herself, “No, but I bet you did.”

 Once they got home, Kankuro retreated to his bedroom. Before flicking on his TV or laying down to rest, Kankuro pulled out an old calendar Temari had gotten him for Christmas months back. Flipping to the current month, he scribbled a star on the following Thursday with “10:30” written right next to it. He wasn’t going to fuck this up.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kankuro decides to buy a few things to gussy himself up before his appointment with kiba. When the day of the piercing comes, things do not go as smoothly as either of them had imagined.

The following day at work, Kankuro found himself staring out the Hot Topic storefront in hopes a rowdy dog and its equally as rambunctious owner would come running by, or better yet stop in to shop. It was stupid, and Kankuro resisted the urge to physically kick himself behind the counter. He felt like he was 16 again, pining over a cute boy that he barely even knew. It was silly, yet he still wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to get to know Kiba more. He rested his head on a propped arm and sighed deeply, not taking his eyes off the store doors.

Sasori, standing at the cash register to Kankuro’s right, glanced at his coworker. “You seem miserable.”

Kankuro straightened his back, “What’s new?” He could tell the look on Sasori’s face would be deadpan, as usual.

“Well, it’s rather refreshing to work with a complete mope. I figured you would be excited about the new employee discount.” Sasori tapped his fingertips on the counter in boredom.

Kankuro’s eyebrows peaked, “New discount?”

Sasori shook his head, “You never check your mailbox in the back, do you? There’s a flyer about it; One item for 50% off once a month, in addition to the normal 20% discount. A decent deal, if you ask me.”

_Shit yeah._ Kankuro knew exactly what he would use the discount for, but he wanted to get a second opinion first. “Sasori, is Deidara picking you up after your shift?” The red-head nodded. “Perfect, can you ask him to come in to the store? I want his opinion on what to use that discount on.”

The rest of his shift was uneventful. No cute boys running past with their dogs in tow, much to Kankuro’s dismay. He did notice that girl Ino and her pink haired friend walk past and giggle when they saw Kankuro, but he chose to not make much out of that.

Around 5 minutes before closing, Deidara came in to wait for Sasori by the counter. Even on his day off, Deidara looked like he was dressed for work: metal band tee with a completely illegible font, ripped black jeans, and docs. Coming out from the back room to grab a broom, Kankuro ran up to the counter when he saw Deidara standing there.

“Kankuro, my man, what’s up?” The blond waved as Kankuro approached. “Heard you need some advice?”

Kankuro nodded and gestured for him to follow. He led them to the men’s clothing section, which was especially tiny when you looked at all the merchandized products they sold.

“I need you to help me pick up a shirt for my other job.” Kankuro turned to his employee, arm resting on the top of the shirt rack.

Deidara looked confused, “Any context?”

Kankuro chewed on the inside of his cheek before learning in to whisper in Deidara’s ear. “Cute boy.”

Deidara’s visible eye widened and he shook Kankuro’s shoulders, “My MAN! You know you have to tell me more than that. I _love_ gossip.” The menacing look in Deidara’s eye sent a chill down Kankuro’s spine.

“You have all the details you need, asshole.”

Deidara smilply rolled his eyes, “Alright, alright, but remember, you asked ME for help. Now, let’s take a look…” With that, he began to shift through the clothing rack. He let out a soft “aha!” at the sight of one shirt. Pulling it out, Deidara held it in front of Kankuro to get an idea of how it would look.

The button down was a rich blue with a floral pattern of orange, red, lilac and white flowers in a classic renaissance art style. The material was silky to the touch. It was unlike anything he had ever seen at Hot Topic, but Kankuro figured the small cherubs and thorns in the pattern gave it the gothic feel. Deidara’s eye seemed to light up as he pictured the complete outfit on Kankuro: the silk button down, a black and silver belt, black pants and shoes. Kankuro was apprehensive; this wasn’t necessarily the style he would go for but the look on Deidara’s face told him to take the risk. Besides, Kiba dressed like a hipster, so there was a good chance he found Kankuro’s black on black on black outfits to be weird. Maybe a dash of color would be a good change, even if it was only navy blue.

“Perfect, thanks Deidara.” Kankuro took the hanger and brought it to Sasori’s register. With the sale, the shirt only cost him $15. Hopefully a worthwhile investment.

After purchasing his new shirt and finishing his end of shift routines, Kankuro swiftly made his way downstairs to Sephora, where Temari was ringing up their last customer. He walked in, nodded to Kurenai who allowed him to come in, and started browsing the aisles. He picked up his favorite purple lipstick and a setting spray before heading to the counter. Kankuro placed the items in front of his sister and pulled out his wallet.

Temari glanced up at her brother with a raised eyebrow. “New makeup?”

Kankuro avoided her eyes as he fiddled with the receipts in his wallet. “Yeah, I am getting sick of the cheap lipstick I bought last time.”

“Any special reason for getting this one? Any special person?” Temari acted cool and knew she had hit the nail on the head when Kankuro seemed to blush slightly.

“Shut up, Temari, and just ring them up.” Kankuro spoke through gritted teeth. Unsurprisingly, Temari wouldn’t let her brother get away with a half assed answer. She knew something was up.

Temari took the items and pulled them to her side of the counter. With a smirk, Temari stared her brother dead in the eyes. “You don’t get these until you tell me _who_ or what you are buying these for.” She lowered her voice, “It’s not that greasy pig you work with, right? Hidan?”

Kankuro felt as if Temari had kicked him in the stomach. _Hidan_ was the exact reason he kept his romantic and sexual life to himself. He had accidentally let it slip that he had a drunken hookup with his co-worker a few days afterwards and Temari nearly rung out his neck for being reckless and going home with someone he barely knew. Kankuro didn’t need Temari to baby him, and he especially didn’t need Temari stopping by Hot Topic and gesturing with her fingers that she was going to slit Hidan’s throat, but she did so anyways.

            Kankuro’s eyes narrowed. First Deidara, and now Temari. It seemed like the whole mall was going to know he was starting to crush on a guy he’d barely met. He winced internally. ‘Crush’ sounded so formal…could he have a crush on someone he just met? No, surely not. It was lust at first sight. _I’m desperate and just need a quick fuck, that’s all. None of this crush bullshit._ Kankuro tried to tell himself to no avail. Finally succumbing to the long silence, Kankuro spoke up. “I’m suppose to pierce a cute guy’s ear in a few days. Are you fucking happy?” He felt his hand clench in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

            Wordlessly with a coy smile on her lips, Temari scanned the two items and waited for Kankuro to insert his card. She was the epitome of smug, having obtained the information she wanted. Kankuro’s tough façade usually crumbled under Temari’s interrogation. She hadn’t him the bag and continued to close down the shop in silence.

            Earlier in the day, Temari had sent her brothers a home and stop sign emoji. This was their unspoken code for: “I plan on fucking my boyfriend loudly tonight so don’t come home”. The code was established after a rather unfortunate instance when Gaara accidentally walked in on Shikamaru hunched in a precarious position under a partially nude Temari. Fragile and innocent, Gaara couldn’t look either Shikamaru or Temari in the eye (or the groin region) for two weeks. While Kankuro didn’t like picturing his older sister having sex in their shared living room, he was thankful for being able to avoid a Gaara situation.

            Because of this text, Kankuro decided to tag along with Gaara and his friends as they went out for dinner after work. Really, Gaara was Lee’s plus one, which made Kankuro the plus one to the plus one. He had never met Lee before, let alone his friends Tenten and Neji. Gaara explained the dynamic that the three of them all worked at Lush together, and that Lee was more eccentric than his two co-workers. Kankuro could have gathered that from the moment Lee pulled up to the mall in his green mini-van. Lee sat up front with Neji, while Kankuro and Garra sat in the middle row with Tenten in the far back row.

            “Gaara! Kankuro! As the guests of honor in my youthful green chariot, I will give you all the luxury of controlling the aux cord.” Lee beamed from the front seat, handing them an extra long cable. When Gaara didn’t move to grab the cord, Kankuro apprehensively took it and plugged it into his phone. He knew this was going to be a disaster…He didn’t really have the most universal music taste. Not wanting to embarrass Gaara infront of his new friends, Kankuro quickly typed in an artist’s name into Spotify to pull up their best hits and hit shuffle.

There was a long silence before the first blare of synth in “G.U.Y” by Lady Gaga erupted in Lee’s car. Kankuro felt his soul leave his body as Gaga began to sing the mildly erotic lyrics. Of course they reached a stop sign in the mall parking lot, so both Lee and Neji turned their heads slowly to look at him. Tenten also popped her head over the back of the seat to get a better look at Kankuro. He almost didn’t notice their stares as Kankuro’s mind raced for a way to self-destruct.

            Within the drop of a hat, Lee’s expression changed from confused to joy, “I-I…love this song! Great choice, Kankuro!” Lee mused, turning his attention back to the wheel. Neji and Tenten appeared to just be confused by his song choice, but didn’t say anything.

“Judas next, Kankuro.” Tenten said in his ear before plopping back down in her seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Kankuro looked at Gaara who stared at his brother with bewilderment. Kankuro just shrugged and patiently waited for the song to end before starting Tenten’s recommendation. Thankfully, Lee and Tenten loudly sang the rest of the Gaga songs until they reached the restaurant, filling up the awkward silence Kankuro so greatly feared.

            The five of them piled into a long booth and quickly ordered a standard assortment of food. Lee, not keen on silence, began to ask Kankuro questions about his work and hobbies.

“Your makeup is really cool! I bet it wins you many suitors.” Lee said with a genuine smile.   
Kankuro gave an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, “Oh, I don’t know about that. We’ll see here shortly.” He saw Lee and Tenten’s eyes get big at this last comment, and he so desperately wanted to bite off his own tongue.

“WHO!?” The two pleaded. A bored Neji looked on at the restaurant. _I’ve seen that look before…_ Kankuro thought, picturing Shikamaru. He then remembered Shikamaru’s face was probably buried in a pillow right now and had to physically shake his head to erase the thought from his mind. He focused back to reality to see Lee and Tenten still waiting on his response.

            “You wouldn’t know him. I don’t really want to talk about it.” Kankuro folded his arms in front of his chest in an attempt to get the two to read his body language that the conversation needed to end here. He failed to account for how oblivious Lee and Tenten could be.

They started to talk over each other, “Do you have a date? Are you excited?!” “I bet he’s so cute! Do you have a picture? Are you two a thing?”

            Kankuro sighed and decided to just live a lie for the night. “A date, yes. Next week.” He clenched his jaw at the lie, feeling so stupid and creepy. This was on par with the time he lied to Temari and Gaara about having a girlfriend for two months in middle school, or at least it was just as stupid sounding in hindsight.

Lee’s smile managed to widen, which didn’t seem physically possible. With an “Oh!”, Lee reached into a bag and pulled out an assortment of small bottles and jars. He sorted through them, handing a spray bottle and two jars to Kankuro. All of them had the LUSH packaging on them. “Take these! They are free samples I got for employee of the month. Your skin type appears to be oily, so use this toner, cleanser and light moisturizer every morning and that should help clear up your skin before the big date! Also,” Lee reached back into his bag and pulled out a small glass jar, “this is a lip scrub. If you use this, your lips will be perfectly smooth for a quick first date smooch!” Lee lightly placed the lip scrub in Kankuro’s palm.

Kankuro, completely and utterly embarrassed, simply nodded his head in thanks. For the rest of the night he remained quiet, letting the embarrassment of the night truly seep into his bones. Thankfully, the food arrived quickly and was eaten nearly as fast as it arrived. Kankuro and Gaara’s phones buzzed with a message from Temari: an emoji of hands shaking. This was the code that things were clear for them to come back. It wasn’t long after they paid the check that they piled into Lee’s van and set off to be dropped off. Gaara waved goodbye to his friends as Kankuro unlocked the front door to their apartment. No sign of Temari and Shikamaru thankfully. Without exchanging a word, Kankuro and Gaara retired to their respective bedrooms for the night.

The moment Kankuro’s head hit his pillow, he fell into a deep sleep that his body needed after the strain of the day. Throughout the night, he unconsciously found himself caught up in various dreams. In one, he was forced to sing on stage with Lady Gaga. In other, he showed up to work at Hot Topic and found all of his co-workers in their underwear.  Only one dream burned into Kankuro’s memory the next day: the feel of silk sheets below him, the warmth of bare skin touching as legs tangled, the light heave and sigh of the chest beneath his, the feeling of a soft grunt vibrating from Kiba’s neck as Kankuro slowly kissed down his neck….

Kankuro woke up the next morning coated in sweat and with a tempestuous case of morning wood that needed to be taken care of. Feeling dirty both physically and mentally, Kankuro carried himself to the shower to address his erection and to prepare for the day. The shower didn’t last long, despite his desires to just stand under the scalding water as it pricked his skin like needles. Once out of the shower, Kankuro decided to try Lee’s advice and use the product samples he was given. With a splash of cold water, he looked up into the mirror after washing off his cleanser and gave himself a weak smile. His skin felt tight and smooth which was a welcomed change to his normal texture. As he got dressed for the day, Kankuro stared at the calendar on his wall. Three more days. He would not fuck this up.

* * *

By 10 am Monday morning, Kiba was a stuttering and stammering mess. Even though he had taken the day off, he decided to bring Akamaru with him for comfort. Sensing something was wrong, Akamaru licked Kiba’s trembling palms as they approached Bath & Body Works. Hinata had been waiting for them right by the entrance, looking as excited as Kiba was nervous. She scanned over his outfit once again and placed a hand under her chin pensively. His outfit was good: a geometric patterned short sleeve button down, cuffed light wash jeans, white slip-on canvas shoes and a black belt. While Hinata fussed around with the tuck of the shirt, she couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

“Kiba, do you have anything in your pockets?” She asked, staring intently at the cuffs of his jeans. He patted the front pockets until pulling out a pair of black knock-off Raybans he had been wearing earlier. “Perfect!” Hinata spoke with soft excitement as she took the glasses from him. She placed one of the temples of the glasses under his shirt so that they hung vertically from his shirt opening. The weight of the glasses caused the fabric to sag a little, revealing more of a v-neck of skin then before. Hinata stood back with her hands on her hips in pride.

“Do I look alright?” Kiba asked sheepishly, looking down at his outfit with arms outstretched. With his eyes on his shoes, he didn’t see as Hinata jumped to hug him, wrapping him in a warm embrace. Startled, Kiba took a second before registering that his best friend was hugging him and reciprocated. Hinata’s hugs were the best comfort he knew; she hugged him when he got his dream job as a service dog trainer and she hugged him extra tight when he cried over breakups and broken hearts. Kiba could always count on Hinata to be there for him, and there was nothing he treasured more than their friendship.

When Hinata pulled back from the hug, she scurried to one of the display shelves and came back with a bottle of men’s cologne.  Handing the boxed bottle to Kiba, Hinata smiled as he gave her a confused look. “It’s from Shino. He bought it for you yesterday for your big day. He said-and these are his exact words-‘he smells so bad a dung beetle might roll him up’”. Hinata couldn’t refrain herself from laughing at Shino’s words. A flustered Kiba scoffed and ripped open the box. With three aggressive squirts, Kiba handed the bottle back to Hinata.

“For the last time, I do not smell! Here, hold onto this for me, will ya?” She gladly took the bottle from him, laughing softly at how defensive Kiba can be. 

“It’s almost time. Are you ready?” She asked softly, trying to read Kiba’s face for an expression that differed from his words.

He nodded, feeling his nerves settle back in. “Thank you for pushing me.”

Hinata gave him a playful shove, “For the record, I didn’t tell you to get a piercing! Now, you get ‘em, tiger!” She patted Akamaru on the head and waved goodbye to the pair as they turned to head down the escalator.

            Eager to get a peak of Kankuro, Kiba walked down the escalator instead of letting it carry him down. As he approached, he was able to start to see the details of Kankuro’s outfit. The intricate details of his navy blue button down would not be apparent until Kiba was just a few feet away. His heart began to thump so loudly in his ears that he was sure the whole mall could hear it. Kankuro had his back to the counter yet again, so Kiba stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure how to get his attention. Just as Kiba was about to clear his throat to say “excuse me”, Akamaru let out a happy and full-bodied bark, accompanied by a voracious wave of his tail.

            Kankuro, scared shitless by the startling bark, spun around so fast that he slipped slightly on the mat underneath him and crashed down hard on the floor. Embarrassment came flooding over him as he tried to scramble to his feet. Kiba leaned over the counter in shock, trying to see if Kankuro had hit his head on the way down.

“Are you okay?!” Kiba was frantic, halfway ready to leap over the countertop to pick up the fallen Kankuro. To his relief, Kankuro’s head popped up and he quickly stood up completely.

Kankuro rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like a complete idiot. When his eyes finally met Kiba’s, he felt a blush creep underneath his purple makeup. Kiba stood there with wide eyes and mouth agape slightly, still in shock of Kankuro falling and possibly being hurt. Kankuro had to flick his eyes away, unable to stand the quickening pace of his heart in his chest. _Shit, he looks so cute like that…_ Kankuro turned his back to Kiba once again to grab the piercing kit. With his face hidden, he finally had the courage to speak up, “S-Sorry if I scared you. I’m fine, just taken by surprise. So,” Kankuro took in a quiet breath before turning around to face Kiba with the kit, “Which ear?”

            Kiba hadn’t given it much thought since this whole plan was just a lousy scheme to get to know Kankuro. “My left ear, your right.” Since he typically slept on his right side, this seemed like the least painful option.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. _He doesn’t mean….? No, that’s old and cliché. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence._ Kankuro nodded his head and pointed to the chair Kiba was to sit in. Walking out from around the counter, Kankuro tried his best to bring on the charm he normally had around female customers, but his smolder ended up coming across as mildly uncomfortable. Kiba didn’t notice, as his eyes stayed fixed on Kankuro’s broad chest and tight shirt as he moved around the counter.

            Kankuro pulled up a stool and stand for his kit. At this close distance he noticed the cologne on Kiba, a faint musk and vanilla mixture. It was pleasant and not overbearing, which he found refreshing. Pulling out his blue nitrile gloves from his kit, he tried to subtly yet seductively pull the glove on, showing off his large hands. Kiba’s eyes watched with peaked interest when SNAP, Kankuro’s glove ripped in half.

“Shit, uh, hold on.” Kankuro awkwardly stood up, taking the glove back behind the counter to throw it away. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, I am fucking this up!_

He returned with a gloved hand he did without putting on a show (much to Kiba’s disappointment) and sat back down on his stool. Kankuro then took out the disinfecting towelette from the single use packaging.

“This is going to be cold.” He said in a hushed voice as he leaned in to disinfect Kiba’s left ear. He was right, the cloth was freezing against Kiba’s flushed skin, and the sensation of Kankuro applying pressure to Kiba’s skin only made him flush more.

            Setting the disinfectant aside, Kankuro then took out a purple marker to mark the location of the piercing. He pulled his stool back to get a full view of Kiba’s face. “Just making sure it will be even for you.” Kankuro said, feigning a deep focus. In reality, he didn’t need to do this for a single piercing but he was enjoying an excuse to get a close look at Kiba’s face. He seemed to notice that Kiba’s tan skin was blushing a subtle pink, but chose to ignore this. _Probably nervous, that’s all._

Kiba could hardly sit still as he saw Kankuro staring so deepily into his eyes. He too would use this as an opportunity to ogle the man in front of him. Kiba traced the pattern of Kankuro’s makeup with his finger at his side, trying hard to capture this moment in his brain in its entirety. He was especially enamored by the septum piercing that rested just above Kankuro’s purple lips. With ears burning, Kiba imagined the sensation of the septum ring nuzzling the crook of his neck. _Jesus, get a grip_. Kiba raised an arm to scratch at his neck that he had been fantasizing about.

            The sudden movement of Kiba’s arm snapped Kankuro back to reality. Satisfied with the placement, Kankuro picked up the disinfected piercing gun. “Kiba, are you squeamish? Afraid of pain?” He asked, returning to face him.

“I-I mean, I guess it depends on the situation.” Kiba fumbled around his words awkwardly.

“Are you afraid of getting this piercing? Usually people who are bring a friend to hold their hand. Since you are by yourself, and I don’t have a free hand, you could hold onto my arm if that helps.” Kankuro asked cooly. Kiba stared back at him with wide eyes, blinking slowly a few times. Immediately, Kankuro realized he fucked up. “I-I mean, like, if you want to. I’m not saying you HAVE to, but, ya know, if you want to, you COULD, or like hold onto a papertowel, and I could go grab you one or if you brought your own, that would be fine, no requirement on the brand of papertowel, I personally prefer the ones with flowers on them and-“ Kankuro’s words ran on and flew off his tongue at the speed of light. Kiba, unable to find a way to interrupt him, reached out and grabbed Kankuro’s forearm with both arms.

            “Okay, I’m ready.” Kiba’s heart was throbbing at this point. His grip on Kankuro’s forearm was loose and comfortable, but all the built up tension was focused on his jaw as he clenched. It took Kankuro a moment to comprehend that Kiba was now holding him by the arm. Once he came to, he nodded and moved his stool in closer. Due to the way the chairs were designed, Kankuro had to sit as close to Kiba as possible to be able to reach him. Because of this, Kankuro’s face was only a few inches away from Kiba’s as he brought the piercing gun into position.

            Kankuro’s lips were right by Kiba’s ear as he whispered softly, “Breathe in. Breathe out after 3…..1, 2 ,3.” With a click, Kankuro pushed down on the trigger of the piercing gun and pushed the simple silver stud through Kiba’s ear. Kiba had flexed in pain, squeezing tightly on Kankuro’s forearm. He didn’t mind; in fact, Kankuro relished the feeling. Once he stood up to clean the equipment, Kiba let go of his hold on Kankuro and lightly touched the sensitive new piercing. It hurt but he was too attuned to the other emotions he was feeling to notice.

            “It looks fucking cool! Let me ring up your maintenance kit, Kiba.” Kankuro smiled at Kiba and returned behind the counter again. He tripped again, slightly, before he reached the counter, but luckily Kiba’s eyes were transfixed on his ass to notice his misstep. It was something Kiba hadn’t noticed before, but he knew it would be a prominent feature in future dreams.

           

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coincidentally, Kankuro and Kiba find themselves at the Kage bar and Kiba ends the night in Kankuro's clothes.

Kankuro placed a small bag on the counter in front of Kiba. He pulled out a large white bottle and held it Vanna White style. “This is your piercing cleaner. Soak a cotton ball in this and lightly dab it around the piercing three times a day. Don’t forget this, okay?” Kankuro placed the bottle back in the bag and retrieved a smaller spray bottle. “This is antiseptic spray. Use this to prevent the piercing from being infected.”

Kiba nodded his head in attention, though his focus was solely on Kankuro’s lips as he spoke.

“Kiba,” He snapped back into reality to actually listen to Kankuro, “You need to keep the piercing in for six weeks, okay? I’ve seen a lot of piercings go wrong because they take them out too soon, so be patient with it.” Kankuro slid the bag closer to Kiba. He grabbed it by the handles and nodded. Kiba wasn’t worried; Hinata’s piercings seem to be coming along well enough so he was sure he would be fine too.

* * *

Within a week and a half, Kiba’s piercing was infected. His lobe ached and was swollen bright red against the metal stud. No amount of antiseptic spray was going to solve his problem now and Kiba was insufferable. After he moped around in pain for a day, Hinata practically forced him into her car on her way to work. She subjected him to her soft fierceness and demanded he ask Kankuro for advice on the infection. Kiba huffed and crossed his arms against his chest in protest, but the searing pain in his left ear made him reconsider.

The walk to the piercing pagoda was one of shame, as Kiba was completely embarrassed to admit to Kankuro that he had less than adequate hygiene. _Nothing wins over a guy like “My ear is full of pus!”_ Kiba sulked, dreading the slow descent of the escalator. To both his dismay and relief, he saw that Kankuro was just finished up a transaction with a customer. The girl was fairly cute from what Kiba could see and the way Kankuro’s face beamed made his stomach start to ache. Nevertheless, his stomach pains were completely masked by the steady throbbing of his ear.

Kiba approached once the customer turned to leave and was greeted by a shocked Kankuro.

“Kiba? How’s it going?” Kankuro attempted to ask coolly, but instead came across as suspicious.

Kiba stared at his feet, unsure of how exactly to word his admittance. Finally, he turned his head and pointed at the swollen lobe, “I was at the dog park with Akamaru and he licked my ear. I think he had just….well you know how close dogs like to sniff each other….” Kiba’s voice was shaky and barely audible.

_Oh shit._ Kankuro paused for a beat, eyes as wide as saucers, before a bellowing cackle erupted from him, startling Shikamaru at the vape stand from his mid-morning nap.  The corners of Kankuro’s eyes weld up with tears from how hard he was laughing. Kiba stood in mortal embarrassment until Kankuro’s laughing fit ended and he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Kiba, that is simultaneously the most disgusting and adorable thing I’ve ever heard.” Kankuro sighed, a few vagrant chuckles coming out.  

_Adorable?_ Kiba’s eyebrow lifted, and he was relieved to know the laughter was not malicious. “Do you have anything to treat it with? I know you aren’t a doctor or anything but…”

Kankuro nodded and pulled out a drawer in front of him. He retrieved a small tube of ointment, a bottle of saline solution, and a pair of gloves. “Saline can be used to clean the wound. Antibiotic cream to reduce infection. I can show you how to apply them if you’d like.”

Kiba nodded and moved to sit on the chair used for piercings. Kankuro came to his side and dapped a Q-tip in the saline solution. The infection looked pretty nasty up close and from the way Kiba winced as he treated the infection, he could tell it was painful. Despite the fact that he was treating an infection, Kankuro felt his cheeks burn slightly from being so close to Kiba’s face. He took his time to apply the ointment, both out of consideration of Kiba’s pain and for his own selfish benefit of being by his side. Once he finished, he pulled back to see how Kiba was taking the treatment. To his surprise, he noticed a faint tint of pink sprawled across Kiba’s tan cheeks. Kankuro wrote this off as a reaction to the pain.

            Returning behind the counter to discard his gloves, Kankuro put the saline and ointment in a bag for Kiba. He reached for his wallet to pay for the items when Kankuro waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, just use these please.” He gave Kiba a worried smile, which made Kiba’s heart flutter briefly.

Kiba stood awkwardly, his brain not allowing him to move his legs to leave. Instead, he opened his big mouth, “So…you have any fun plans for the weekend?”

Kankuro, surprised by the sudden shift into casual conversation, took a second to think. “Oh, not really. I’m going to see some friends perform at a gig tonight, but other than that I work all weekend.”

“Wait, what’s the name of the band?”

Kankuro cringed, “Inoshikacho. It’s a combination of the band member’s names.”

Kiba lit up with excitement, “I’m going to that too! Do you know Ino?”

Unable to believe the coincidence, Kankuro let a bewildered smile show on his face, “In passing. Shikamaru is dating my sister and Choji smokes our weed.”

The two chuckled at his comment. Kiba was beaming, “That’s awesome! I guess I’ll see you tonight at the show. The Kage Bar, right?” Kankuro nodded, “Great! I’ll see you tonight then, Kankuro!”

With that, all the energy that had been focused on his throbbing ear was shot into his feet, causing Kiba to nearly skip away in excitement. He nearly raced up the escalator stairs to tell Hinata about his excitement. Working his way through the Bath & Body Works storefront to reach her at the register, Kiba paused as he passed one of the testing sink mirrors. He glanced up and down at his outfit and grimaced. He wore a baggy maroon Thraser sweatshirt and ripped jeans. Kiba’s outfit radiated with douchebag energy. His mind drifted to the contents of his closet and shifted through the shirts he owned. The perfect shirt came to mind: a black and white stripped short-sleeve button down. He would pair it with his fitted black pants, a black belt and white converse. The black and white color pallet should appeal to Kankuro, and with one or two of the top buttons undone, he was sure that a peak of skin wouldn’t hurt either. With his outfit crisis settled, Kiba continued to approach Hinata.

She greeted him with a warm smile, “Everything go alright? Did you get something to treat the infection?”

Kiba noticed that the piercing had stopped itching like hell, “Yeah, everything’s good. Fuck that, everything is great! _He’s_ going to the concert tonight too. Apparently he’s friends with the two guys in Ino’s band.”

Hinata clapped her hands together. “Oh, Kiba, that’s wonderful! You’ll have to buy him a drink at the bar.” She gave him a sly smile, which caused Kiba to rub the back of his neck.

The two continued to chat and arranged plans to carpool to the bar. The show started at 8pm, so Hinata, Kiba, Sakura, and their mutual friend Naruto would go out for dinner beforehand at 7pm. Kiba spent the next few hours pacing around his small studio apartment, kicking an old soda can as he moved. Hinata stopped by after her shift at 6pm and brought with her a change of clothes. Kiba laid out his outfit on his bed to give her a sense of the look he was going for.

Hinata smiled at her friend and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, “It looks good! Actually, it looks like something he’d wear. Let’s hope he doesn’t end up matching you.” She poked him in his side.

Kiba rolled his eyes and poked her back. “Don’t even joke about that, Hinata, because we both know that would totally happen to me.”

Hinata got dressed in the bathroom while Kiba put on his outfit by his bed. The pants were a little more tight fitting than he last remembered but that didn’t hurt the look he was going for. Hinata gave a soft knock from inside the bathroom and peaked out from behind the door, making sure Kiba was fully dressed. She swung the door open and looked at her friend with a jaw dropped.

“Kiba, you look amazing! This might be the best you’ve ever looked.” She ran up to him and gave him a warm enveloping hug. Kiba smiled, thanking whatever being is out there for gifting him such a true and genuine friendship.

“You look good too, Hinata. Let’s knock ‘em dead tonight, alright?” Kiba gave her a high-five before turning to his stereo to blast music while they finished getting ready. Sakura arrived around 6:45pm to pick them up for dinner. Sakura and Naruto sat up front, bickering to each other about who would win in a fight: Aquaman or Magneto. Kiba and Hinata sat in the back, laughing at how passionately Naruto defended Aquaman.

Dinner was standard greasy grub, the kind of food to best soak up the alcohol they were about to consume. As much as they all loved Ino, it was no secret that Inoshikacho was on par with an 8th grade talent show band. The only reason they even got a gig at the bar was because Asuma’s dad owned the bar. The fact that they were performing at a bar was the main reason their friends were excited to go.

* * *

The Kage Bar was a decent bar, with a more traditional restaurant section that closed at 8pm, a bar and dance floor area. It wasn’t anything special but being one of two bars in the area (the other was a sports pub), it often got busy on the weekend. The group of four arrived just before 8 and the whole bar was already fairly crowded. Kiba scanned the crowd for Kankuro and spotted a head of brown hair standing above the majority of people near the middle.

Making his way through the audience, Kiba was relieved to find that this was Kankuro. Even with his back turned, Kiba could see that he wore a white button down, leather jacket, ripped black jeans and platform boots that added two inches to his already tall stature. Kiba stood behind him and slowly brought a hand up to tap him on the shoulder. Kankuro turned his head in confusion that melted into a smile when he saw Kiba. It took him a minute to process that it was Kiba in front of him due to Kiba swapping his usual windbreaker for a sleek black and white fit. Lacking any subtly at all, Kankuro glanced up and down Kiba, eyes lingering on the exposed collarbone.

“Hey.” Kankuro gave an awkward slight wave, “Excited for the show?” Due to the volume of the audience, Kankuro had to practically yell to Kiba.

Kiba laughed softly, barely audible to Kankuro, “Not really, but that’s what friends are for, I guess.”

Kankuro smiled at Kiba. As Kiba stood besides him to wait for the show, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at the man by his side. _God, why am I so insufferable?_ Kankuro sulked, feeling his hands twitchy at the thought of grabbing Kiba’s hand and kissing him right there in front of the whole damn bar. He felt like such a loser with a stupid crush, but the more time he spent around Kiba, the deeper the crush burned in his heart.

Kiba stood quietly, but his own internal sulking was just as loud. Hinata was right, he needed to buy Kankuro a drink and try to talk to him by the bar where a conversation was possible. Just as Kiba started to gain the confidence to ask, a blonde figure ran across the stage and grabbed the mic.

“ARE YOU PEOPLE READY?!” Ino half-screamed into the mic. She got a weak “yeah” in response. Unsatisfied, Ino barked again, “I said ARE YOU PEOPLE READY!?”

The audience this time gave a slightly less half-assed “yeah” in response. Ino adjusted the strap of her guitar on her shoulder. “We are INOSHIKACHOOOO!”

Lacking the enthusiasm of their lead singer, Shikamaru and Choji sauntered onto the stage, with Shikamaru playing the bass and Choji on the drums. They began their set, which contained mainly covers of ‘90s hits and way too much No Doubt for Kankuro’s taste. Kiba was more of a fan, but Ino’s poor mockery of Gwen Stefani’s voice did not do the songs justice.

The pair stood awkwardly and watched the performance for about twenty minutes. By the time Ino began the opening verse for “Don’t Speak”, Kiba had it. He quickly tapped on Kankuro’s shoulder and motioned for him to lean down. Kiba cupped a hand around his mouth and leaned in close to Kankuro’s ear to whisper (which was still practically a shout). “Wanna grab a drink at the bar?”

Kankuro nodded with excitement, which Kiba passed off as eagerness to get as far away from the Inoshikacho experience. Kiba led the way to the bar, and chose two seats as far away from the stage as possible. It was quiet enough here to have a conversation at a normal decibel level.

The bartender came by to take their orders. Kiba spoke up first, ordering a jack and coke and before the bartender could say anything, he smiled at Kankuro, “And I’ll buy whatever he wants.”

Kankuro’s head tilted slightly at this. _He’s buying my drink?_ He blinked a few times before responding, “O-oh, um….I’ll have the same thing, thanks.” The bartender nodded and moved down the bar to take more orders.

Kankuro turned his head back to Kiba and gave a sheepish grin, “Thank you, but I can buy my own liquor.”

Kiba waved him off, “No worries, it’s my thank you for helping me earlier today. Plus, it’s not everyday that you get to buy a drink for a cu-“ Kiba cut himself off, eyes going wide in horror. “a-a friend, a friend.” His voice was shaky and unconvincing, but Kankuro was as dense as a brick.

Still, he was shocked by Kiba’s use of the word “friend”. He like that….being Kiba’s friend. It made his crush on him seem somewhat more justified.

Once their drinks arrived, the pair eased into a casual conversation about life history, family, work….everything they needed to know about each other before truly being friends. Kiba’s jokes made Kankuro laugh until little crinkles formed around his eyes and nose. When Kiba laughed, Kankuro noticed he had dimples. They took turns studying each other in secret, trying to learn all the details about the other.

As the conversation flowed, Kankuro became very aware of how their elbows lightly touched on the countertop. Suddenly he was reminded of the last time he came to this bar, how he drank to make the silence more bearable and how at the end of the night he ended up naked in his coworker’s bed. He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts of Hidan from his mind. There was no pause in the conversation between them, and despite his lackluster people skills, Kankuro found it easy to speak to Kiba, as if he was really being listen to for the first time in his life. He didn’t want a sleazy one-night stand with Kiba and at this point, he was glad to have just obtained a blossoming friendship with the dog lover. While his heart ached, Kankuro was glad to have Kiba in his life in any possible way.

One drink became two, then three, and four, at which point they were both starting to feel a little bit loose. Kankuro palmed at his jacket pocket and pulled a juul out. “Care to join me outside?” He asked, wagging the juul in his hand. Kiba of course nodded and the two cut across the crowd to stand outside. It was a particularly brisk night out for late spring and Kiba started to shiver in his short-sleeve shirt. Taking a hit of the juul and exhaling a cloud of vapor, Kankuro handed Kiba his juul. “Need a hit?”

            Kiba had a juul in his back pocket but chose to keep this to himself. He placed the juul between his lips, feeling the tips of his ears blush at the thought of indirectly touching Kankuro’s lips. He exhaled through chattering teeth. _Fuck, it’s cold._

“Cold?” Kankuro asked. _No shit, captain obvious._ He kicked himself internally.

Kiba nodded and brought his hands up to his lips to warm them with hot breath. Kankuro was unsure of what to say, so he simply shrugged off his leather jacket and placed it around Kiba’s shoulders. He stared at the taller man with shock.

“You look like you need it more than me. I wear a lot of layers.” Kankuro tried to say plainly, but the flush on his face told a different story.

Before Kiba could properly thank him, a boisterous Naruto came bouncing out of the bar and ran up to Kiba.

“KIBS! Glad I found you! Sakura said she can’t listen to another 90’s cover song without exploding so we are heading out.” Naruto beamed, clasping a hand on Kiba’s shoulder. Fury boiling in his blood, Kiba shot Naruto a furious glance before softening his expression to look at Kankuro. Trying his best to look cool, Kankuro looked elsewhere down the street and took another hit of his juul. Kiba was crushed that an overall amazing night had to end so soon.

“I guess I’ll see you around, Kankuro.” Kiba waved, as an eager Naruto tried to tug him towards Sakura’s car.

Kankuro looked back at Kiba and grinned, “Next time, drinks are on me.”

_Next time._ Kiba could barely hold back a face splitting grin as Naruto shoved him into the backseat of Sakura’s car. Hinata sat up front with Sakura, leaving Kiba and Naruto in the back.

            Hinata turned to face Kiba from the front seat, “Did you have a good night?”

Kiba nodded with a soft smile, so uncharacteristic of him that Hinata knew it must have been an excellent night.

Naruto was still bouncing off the walls despite being buckled down, “So Kibs, was that your boyfriend?! Were you on a DATE?! Kiba’s got a boyfriend! Kiba’s got a boyfriend!”

Kiba couldn’t take it anymore and pulled the blond into a head lock, “WILL YOU SHUT UP, NARUTO!?”

Naruto simply laughed, “Oh Kibs, I’m so happy! Can I be your best man at the wedding? Or will Shino? Is Shino’s bug collection invited? Are you gonna make little suits for them?”

Kiba practically growled at Naruto, which only made him laugh more. The two wrestled in the back seat, with Sakura yelling at them to stop kicking her seat.

When they pulled up to Kiba’s apartment complex, Hinata spoke up, “Kiba, you weren’t wearing a jacket earlier, were you?”

Kiba and Naruto paused their playful fight to stare at Hinata. His eyes flashed down to the leather jacket around him. “Oh shit-!”

Kiba pulled out his phone and opened his messages. He had Kankuro’s number in his phone from when he first booked his appointment. Hoping it was his cell phone and not a work phone, Kiba began to draft a message:

Kiba, 9:35pm: Hey Kankuro, this is Kiba. I just realized I took your jacket with me (sorry!). When’s a good time to bring it back to you at work?”

They all sat in the car, watching as Kiba stared at his phone screen. After a minute, the phone buzzed and he positioned his phone in the middle of the car so everyone could see.

Kankuro, 9:37pm: don’t worry about it. you need it more than me since you’re always cold

The text ended with a winky face emoji. After a few seconds of silence to read the message, the entire car erupted with cheers.

“I think someone likes you!” Sakura practically sang.

Kiba rolled his eyes, “He just gave me his jacket, it’s not that big of a deal. Besides, I’m going to return it to him soon. Nothing says ‘I like you’ like thievery.” Kiba got out of the car and leaned against the window to talk.

“Sooo you do like him.” Naruto teased, which earned him a flick between his eyebrows from Kiba. He waved goodbye to his friends and pointed at Hinata and then at his phone. This was their code for “we are going to talk about boys tonight”. Hinata smiled and nodded, and the car slowly pulled away from the front of his complex.

* * *

Kiba nearly bolted up the stairs to his flat. Barely pausing to lock the door behind him, Kiba moved to his bathroom to stand in front of his full-length mirror. He pulled on the lapels of the leather jacket and flexed his arms. While he thought he looked good, he knew he needed to return it because he got a lot more enjoyment from watching Kankuro wear it instead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kankuro and Kiba enjoy Dippin' Dots courtesy of Hinata. Kiba, unable to think properly around Kankuro, signs himself up for yet another piercing.

By late April, blossoms had begun to bud and bloom around the Konoha mall. Their presence brought with it a sense of relaxation to Kankuro’s life. It had been about a month since the Inoshikacho “concert” at the Kage Bar. Thankfully, Kiba still brought Akamaru and various other service dogs in training to the mall, including a glum looking pug named Pakkun. He brought the dogs twice to three times a week and always made sure to stop by the piercing pagoda when Kankuro was free. On the days he worked at Hot Topic, Kiba would usually sit next to Hinata during her break on a bench just outside the storefront. The blue mohawked Kisame still gave them dirty looks from inside the dark confines of the store. Kiba didn’t care; even if it was only for ten minutes at a time, their encounters allowed Hinata to become better friends with Kankuro as well. Anyone who couldn’t get along with Hinata was not welcomed in Kiba’s life. Luckily, the conversation seemed to flow with ease when they took their breaks together.

On one such day, Kankuro was busy stocking jeans in the back and didn’t see them sit down. After a minute or so, Kiba tried to peek into Hot Topic to spot Kankuro but was unable to due to the dark lighting of the store. With a sigh, he slouched in his seat and balled fists into the pockets of his hoodie. Akamaru placed his head in Kiba’s lap.

Deidara, utterly amused by the whole situation, slapped a hand on Kankuro’s shoulder, “Hey, man, your boyfriend and his mute friend are waiting for you outside.”

Kankuro rolled his eyes, “For the last time, Deidara, they are my friends. I know it’s a concept you’re not familiar with.” Kankuro gave his blond coworker a playful shove in the chest.

Deidara scoffed, “Oh, like hell, my man. Just admit you’re trying to get your dick sucked and save the romance shit for the movies.”

In the year he had worked at Hot Topic, Kankuro had learned that nothing pissed Deidara off more than being ignored. Especially when he knew he had pushed someone’s buttons. With a fist clenched at his side, Kankuro simply turned to leave, but not without shooting a death glare to Sasori at the register.  _One day I’m going to fucking ring out both of their necks and I’ll probably get a promotion._

Once Kankuro emerged from the dark storefront, Kiba snapped up in his seat. Hinata, who was gifted with the virtue of patience denied to men like Kiba, smiled at Kankuro as he approached.

“Sorry for the wait, I was dealing with a real dick of a coworker-ah, sorry, Hinata.” Kankuro awkwardly apologized. Sitting to Kiba’s left, Hinata gave him a confused glance. Kiba had to bite down hard on his lip to keep from laughing; earlier that week he had told Kankuro that Hinata was really offended by cursing, just to see if he would believe him. And to Kiba’s surprise and enjoyment, Kankuro was as gullible as they come.

            Kiba moved over on the bench so Kankuro could sit to his right. This was the sixth time they had spent their breaks together, and every time Kiba made sure Kankuro sat next to him (though he didn’t have to try hard). The bench wasn’t very accommodating for three people so Kiba waited in anticipation for Kankuro’s knee to rest against his own as he sat down. Their conversation flowed from their weekend plans to the current sale at Bath & Body Works to the recent mall drama that two mall cops, Kotetsu and Izumo, were spotted making out in the food court photo booth. After a pause in the conversation, Hinata rooted through her small purse and pulled a piece of paper out. Offering it to the pair, she gave Kiba in particular a warm smile.

            “I won employee of the month again and got this Dippin’ Dots coupon b-but I’m lactose intolerant so I can’t…please take it!” Hinata held her hand out.

Kiba blinked. He knew there was a non-dairy option there that Hinata loved. He searched for an answer in her eyes but didn’t have to look too deep. _She wants me to hang out with him. Alone._ Reaching for the coupon, Kiba tried to convey his thanks with his eyes.

“Wow, that’s very sweet of you, Hinata. I haven’t had Dippin’ Dots since I was a little kid.  Congrats on employee of the month too!” Kankuro chirped, reaching a fist out for Hinata to bump. She returned the gesture delicately before standing up to head back to work, leaving Kiba and Kankuro alone on the bench. Neither of them moved despite the close proximity of their bodies.

Kiba tried to fight the heat building behind his cheeks, “So…do you want to grab some ice cream tonight? I’m shit with keeping coupons so if we don’t use this today, it’ll probably disintegrate into nothingness as soon as I get home.”

Kankuro laughed, which only intensified Kiba’s growing blush. “Yeah, that sounds good. My shift ends early tonight; pick me up here at 7:30?”

 _‘Pick me up’? That makes it sound so much like a …._ Kiba pushed the thought from his mind for now. His eyes followed Kankuro’s hands as he brought them down to pet Akamaru on the head and scruff. Akamaru, who was quite fond of Kankuro, wagged his tail with excitement and promptly splayed out on his back so Kankuro could rub his belly.

            “Akamaru!! No belly rubs on the job!” Kiba growned, lightly tugging on the dog’s service holster to get him to stand up. “Sorry about that. Yes, 7:30 sounds great! Looking forward to it-the ice cream, I mean.”

Kankuro was a bit disappointed by Kiba’s clarification but was nonetheless excited for the night ahead. It felt like a teenage romance, getting ice cream with a cute boy. _Ugh, cut the sappy shit._ To his dismay, the rest of his shift dragged on as slowly as possible. To make matters worse, he was stocking the merchandise with Deidara and Hidan of all people. Deidara continued to affectionally refer to Kiba as Kankuro’s ‘boyfriend’ or ‘main squeeze’ and by the time 7:25pm rolled around, Kankuro’s patience had been grounded into near non-existence.

As Kankuro grabbed his bag to wait Kiba by the bench, Hidan slung an arm around Deidara’s shoulders and pulled him to the corner of the store. Their distance to the front and the blaring of music made it possible to have a conversation out of Kankuro’s earshot.

“Say, what’s all this bullshit about Kankuro having a boyfriend?” Hidan asked, arm still firm around the smaller blond’s shoulders.

Deidara raised an eyebrow, “Jealous, are we? Not sure when it started but he did mention that he was better in the sack than you, my man.” Deidara was a master at lying but Hidan was too arrogant to think anyone would say something negative about him.

His grip tightened around Deidara’s shoulders, nearly on the verge of putting his coworker in a head lock for saying something so blasphemous, “What the FUCK are you talking about?! I outta snap your neck right here and fucking now for spouting such a pathetic lie!”

Deidara tried to move from under his grip to no avail, “Look, man, maybe he’s just trying to make you jealous! Get you riled up so you show him who’s boss!” Deidara was in deep with the lies, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t want to instigate some drama between his coworkers.

Luckily, Hidan released Deidara from his grip and ran a hand through his slicked back silver locks. He looked out to Kankuro sitting on the bench, staring at his phone, and Hidan laughed deeply with such malicious intent that Deidara shivered, “How pathetic. Guess I’ll have to put him in his place somehow.” With that, Hidan disappeared into the staff room and Deidara tugged at the collar of his shirt, unsure of just how much chaos he had thrown Hot Topic into.

* * *

 

          Kiba showed up promptly at 7:30pm in a different set of clothes from earlier. His hair was also flat on his head and sopping wet.

“Let me guess, Akamaru ran through the fountain?” Kankuro asked, eyebrow raised.

Kiba laughed and shook his head like a dog, sending water droplets flying, “Yeah, you hit the nail on the head. Luckily, Hinata lets me keep a spare set of clothes in her work locker. This happens…a lot.” He blushed, running a hand through his wet hair to try to dry it further.

Kankuro smiled, picturing Kiba running into a fountain to retrieve a frolicking Akamaru.

            The pair walked down to Dippin’ Dots which was just a few stores over from Bath & Body Works. The store was tiny, about half the width of a normal store. There were only a group of three young teenagers sitting in the corner, though the vocal level of one of the boys was that of four people. Behind the counter, an excited Naruto waved at Kiba while Sasuke leaned against the back counter with arms crossed.

 _Oh fuck me…_ Kiba groaned at the sight of Naruto.

“KIBS! KIBS’ FRIEND! WELCOME!” Naruto shouted, leaning forward on the counter to smile in their faces.

Kankuro flashed Kiba a grin, “Kibs?”

Rolling his eyes at Kankuro, Kiba turned his attention to Naruto, “Have you ever been quiet in your entire life, Naruto!?”

“No.” Sasuke spoke up.

Kiba huffed and placed the coupon on the counter. Buy one get one free. Kankuro noticed this and reached for his wallet. “I’ll take a small chocolate, and ‘Kibs’ can get the free deal.”

Kiba fought the urge to roll his eyes again and kept his eyes facing Naruto. _Not you too._  Through gritted teeth, Kiba ordered, “I’ll have the same.” He unclenched his jaw and faced Kankuro, “Thank you.”

            Kankuro waved him off with a laugh, “No worries, I’m paying for the entertainment too; you look cute when you’re flustered.”

This caused Kiba to blush a shade of dark pink and he awkwardly fidgeted with his hands while Kankuro handed Naruto his debit card.

Naruto, lacking a subtle bone in his body, took the card with a sigh. “Awww, that’s so sweet. Two chocolates coming right up! Sasuke, fetch me two small containers!” Sasuke didn’t move an inch.

            The two sat at a white plastic table near the front of the store and as far away from the rambunctious teens in the back. Naruto called their names (or more accurately “Kibs and his friend”) and Kankuro brought back the ice cream and two spoons. Kiba responded with a soft _thanks_ before dipping a spoon into the ice cream beads. Kankuro took his first spoonful apprehensively, but the taste of the Dippin’ Dots brought back a wave of nostalgia.

“Oh crap, I remember when me and my siblings would come here all the time with our dad when we were younger. He never wanted to come here but would buy us ice cream to shut us up. Just like now, Temari always gets what she wants when she sets her eye on something.” Kankuro reminisced between spoonfuls.

            Kiba looked up at Kankuro, “I really want to meet your siblings. They sound nice.”

Kankuro smiled, “They’re a real pain in the ass to me, but I think you’d like them.”

Kankuro’s smile deepened at the thought of Kiba picking him up before a date so he could meet Temari and Gaara. It was cheesy, but so was getting Dippin’ Dots and he was sure his cool guy image was non-existent at this point.

            The two ate their ice cream with casual conversation. It felt so natural. They took turns sharing stories of their childhood (Kankuro focused on the good ones) and making the other laugh as they ate. One joke about the time Temari and he sharpied eyebrows onto Gaara made Kiba snort. This in turn made Kankuro laugh so hard that tears weld up in the corners of his eyes. Any outsider looking in would have thought they had been dating for months. In fact, Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s arm to pull him closer so he could whisper in the blond’s ear, “Are they a thing?”

Naruto, blushing at Sasuke’s hold on his arm, grinned, “No… _not yet!”_

            By the time they had finished their ice cream, the two were smiling like idiots at each other’s jokes. Kiba wanted more moments like this, but he knew Hinata wasn’t made of Dippin’ Dots coupons. Once again, before his brain could properly process an idea, Kiba opened his mouth to speak, “When are you working at the pagoda next?”

Kankuro blinked a few times at the abruptness of Kiba’s question. “Tomorrow. Why?”

Kiba felt the tips of his ears get warm, “I want to get my other ear pierced.”

            Surprised, Kankuro stared with an eyebrow raised, “You sure? You still have a few days before you can remove the first.”

Kiba shook his head, “Don’t care. I want it-I mean, the symmetry of two piercings.”

Kankuro tried to visualize his work schedule and was relieved to recall an hour gap between appointments tomorrow afternoon. He would be lying if the thought of being so close to Kiba’s face again didn’t excite him.

            “I can fit you in. 2pm okay with you? Will Akamaru be joining you?” Kankuro said, noticing the large grin on Kiba’s face in response to his words.

“Yes and yes!” Kiba pumped a fist in the air, looking like a total doofus.

Kankuro nodded, and told himself to stop by the grocery store after work to pick up dog treats for Akamaru.

            By 8:30, Temari had already left with Shikamaru and Gaara still had two hours to work before he would leave. Kankuro figured he could walk home, but his ears perked up at the sound of Kiba fumbling for his keys in his pockets. Kiba noticed his staring and spoke up, “Need a ride home?”

Kankuro bit his lip before nodding. Kiba’s car was exactly what Kankuro had expected: a large white work van with a gigantic decal of “Inuzuka Dog Training” and paw print stickers on the side. As they approached, Kiba tapped on the side of the car. “I get it, I get it; it’s not the most bad ass vehicle on the road but you try getting three dogs into a 2005 Toyota Corolla.”

Kankuro shrugged, “Why am I not shocked to learn you drive a big dorky van?”

Kiba gave him a playful jab in the stomach, “Ha-ha, very funny. You want a ride in the dork-mobile or what?”  With a grin, Kankuro raised two hands in the air in forgiveness.

            The ride was a continuation of their conversation from before, now with Kiba’s playlist playing softly in the background. Kankuro only lived a few blocks away, so as quickly as the conversation began, it was also abruptly ended. As he opened the door to get out, Kankuro popped his head back down to speak to Kiba, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at 2?”

Kiba nodded, “Thanks again for the ice cream- _oh shit!_ Your jacket!” He smacked his palm into his face, “It’s been a month and I still haven’t returned it. I’m a jack ass.”

Kankuro laughed at the flustered Kiba and fought back the urge to make a ‘jack _et_ ass’ pun. “I told you, keep it. It fits you a lot nicer than me anyways.” With a sudden burst of confidence, Kankuro winked at Kiba. Not wanting to see his reaction in case it was negative, Kankuro stepped back and closed the door. He offered a small wave as he ascended the steps up to his apartment.

* * *

 

            The following morning, Kankuro woke up from a particularly hot dream covered in sweat and an ache below. Today he would put out all the stops and win Kiba over. After a longer than usual shower, thanks to last night’s dream, Kankuro reached in the back of his closet for his most sacred outfit. An outfit that, in his eyes, no mortal bore of woman could resist. He popped his headphones into his ears as he did his makeup, unabashedly blasting a Carly Rae Jepsen playlist that he would rather die than admit he made. Checking himself out in the mirror while “I Really Like You” played, Kankuro couldn’t help but smile. This was it.

            Stepping out of his room to grab an apple from the kitchen before work, Kankuro was greeted by a jaw dropped Temari. “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WEARING?” She shouted, nearly throwing a spoon at his head.

Kankuro looked down at his feet and then back at his sister with arms outstretched, “Dress to impress, sis.”

“The only _impression_ you’re giving me is ‘male stripper’, Kankuro.” Temari said with disgust. The outfit in question was certainly not modest: a short sleeve mesh top that made Kankuro’s nipple and belly button piercings extremely prominent, skin tight, black latex pants and black combat boots. He definitely looked like he was about to shove dollar bills into the bulge of his pants while Marilyn Manson played in the background but Kankuro didn’t care. This was exactly the sort of image he was hoping to conjure up in Kiba’s mind.

* * *

Temari almost refused to let Kankuro get into her car or be seen walking into the mall with her, but she knew he wasn’t doing this for his discomfort. No one of this Earth wanted Kankuro to be in a happy relationship more than his sister, but the way his nipple piercings were so menacingly on display made her queasy. The strange looks Kankuro received from his sister were nothing compared to that of the passing by mallgoers, but being stared at wasn’t anything new to him. He still performed his job with the same level of professionalism he normally had, other than the attempts at flirting with customers for tips. To his delight, the tips from that morning were especially high.

            By 1:55pm, Kankuro hadn’t seen a glimpse of Kiba at all. He waited eagerly, trying to keep his cool in anticipation of Kiba’s reaction to his outfit. He placed the dog treats he bought that morning before work in one of the drawers, pulling out two for Akamaru today. Kankuro tidied up the back counter to kill time and jumped slightly when he heard a sheepish voice behind him call out his name. Turning around, Kankuro was met by a shell shocked Kiba. His eyes were wide and Kankuro couldn’t help but notice how he glanced up and down his outfit, eyes lingering on the nipple piercings and tightness of the latex pants around his groin. He wasn’t able to wear underwear with the pants, so the latex offered a very honest display. Kankuro bit down on his bottom lip to stifle a groan as the latex pants didn’t accommodate for any uncontrollable growth.

            Finally snapping back to reality, Kiba met Kankuro’s eyes and spoke as if the wind had been knocked out of him, “Nice outfit.”

Without a word of reply, Kankuro turned back around to grab the piercing kit, feeling Kiba’s eyes wander onto his ass for the time being. The pair assumed their familiar positions with Kiba sitting in the piercing chair and Kankuro just to his side.

            “Are you still nervous about the piercing?” Kankuro asked as he disinfected the lobe, hot breath tickling the side of Kiba’s neck.  Kiba squirmed slightly in his seat at the sensation. He nodded and gripped onto Kankuro’s bicep firmly, although Kiba used this solely as an excuse to touch his practically bare arm. Kankuro smiled and flexed as he pierced Kiba’s ear. Kiba sucked in a hard breath of air at the click of the piercing gun. As he took his arms off of Kankuro’s bicep, he slowly ran his fingers over the toned muscle and found himself blushing deeply as he met Kankuro’s eyes and saw the undeniably pleased grin on his face. _Shit, these pants are going to cut off circulation to my dick._ Kankuro thought loudly.

            “How was it? Did it hurt?” Kankuro asked softly, still lingering a few inches from Kiba’s face. He could feel the heat radiating from Kiba.

Kiba shook his head and wished he had the courage to grab Kankuro’s face in his hands and kiss him right there in the middle of the mall. To his dismay, Kankuro eventually stood up and carried the piercing kit back behind the counter. After removing his gloves and washing them, he grabbed the two dog treats from the counter and showed them to Kiba, “May I?”

            Kiba stood in surprise, “You brought dog treats? For Akamaru?” _Well, duh, I’d hope he wouldn’t bring them for me._

Kankuro nodded and moved back from behind the counter to stand in front of an eager Akamaru. He held out a hand which Akamaru promptly placed a paw in and ‘shook’ hands with Kankuro, earning him one treat. For the next, Kankuro got Akamaru to stand up on his hind legs and spin around. He gave the dog the second treat and clapped his hands.

Kiba watched the whole exchange with bewilderment. Not only was the hottest man he had ever seen just pierced his ear, but he also brought dog treats and was playing with Kiba’s dog. Kiba felt his heart swell. He felt so stupid, but he couldn’t ignore his feelings. He was going to ask Kankuro out on a date by the end of the week.  


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kiba's friends find out about his new piercing, they decide to learn more about Kankuro's true intentions with Kiba.

Kiba resisted the urge to skip away from the piercing pagoda, his heart overflowing with affection. He felt like a protagonist in one of Ino and Sakura’s cheesy rom-coms where everything took on a rosy hue. He was going to ask Kankuro out, this he was sure of, but he knew it wouldn’t be without Hinata’s help.

Kiba walked Akamaru through the Macy’s as part of their training that day. Once deep within the perfume aisle, a section very distracting for service dogs in training, Kiba pulled out his phone and snapped a quick selfie to show off his new piercing. He opened up his group chat to send the photo with two cross-eyed tongue out emojis.

> Kiba, 3:05pm: _U know I had to do it to ‘em_

Shino simply gave the image a thumbs up. The first to reply was Ino, quickly followed by Hinata.

> Ino, 3:05pm: _KIBA!!!!_
> 
> Hinata, 3:06pm: _They look great, Kiba :-)_

Sakura followed by sending a large string of heart emojis.

> Ino, 3:07pm: _Did your ‘boyfriend’ do them for free???_

Kiba scoffed out loud at Ino’s message. He typed away on his phone while Akamaru sat patiently by his feet.

> Kiba, 3:07pm: _No Ino I’m not that cheap….actually, about Kankuro…._

He waited for a second to see if any of his eager friends would text him first and instead decided to take the plunge.

> Kiba, 3:08pm: _I think im gonna ask him out next week_

Half expecting his phone to freeze due to a barrage of “OMG” messages and emojis, Kiba flicked his phone to silent. To his surprise, there was a long pause before a response came in.

> Ino, 3:12pm: _Hinata, Sakura, Shino-text me._

_Oh god._ Kiba groaned, _that doesn’t sound promising._ At his feet, Akamaru whined softly, waiting to finally get on with the training. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Kiba flashed a toothy grin at Akamaru and the pair set off to do some training in tight public spaces.

* * *

By 4:30pm, both Kiba and Akamaru were exhausted from the eventful day. They plopped down on a bench in the Macy’s, too tired to carry themselves to their car in the south west parking lot. Kiba pulled out his phone, uncomfortable in his front pocket while sitting, and saw a message notification on his screen.

> Shino, 4:25pm: _hey. Let’s get sushi tonight._
> 
>  Kiba, 4:31pm: _sounds good. Did u invite the others?_
> 
> Shino, 4:32pm: _no. busy. They are going to some chick flick at the theater tonight with kankuro. Beats me. Pick you up at 5:30._

Kiba nodded to himself. It was strange just having a guys’ night with Shino since they usually included their best friend Hinata in all their antics, but Kiba was looking forward to a change of pace. Things were a lot more low key around Shino, which is exactly what he needed after the adrenaline rush of the day. With a deep sigh, Kiba brought himself to his feet and gave Akamaru a nudge to get moving. The pair slowly made their way to the car with the motivation of a quick nap when they got home as their sole source of encouragement.

* * *

Kankuro was busy finishing up for the day when a group of three women approached him suddenly. In front of him stood Hinata, Sakura and Ino with arms crossed in front of their chests.

“Kankuro, almost done?” Hinata asked, her words simple but her tone implied she was getting at something more important. He simply nodded in response.

“Great!” Ino chirped, “You will be hanging out with us tonight.”

Confused, Kankuro glanced at each member of the trio. “Okay…is Kiba joining us?” He figured it was a simple question, since Kiba was his connection to the group. Obviously the question was not as innocent as Kankuro had hoped, as the three girls flashed each other a quick grin.

Sakura spoke up, “No, not tonight. He’s seeing a movie at the theater with Shino around now. We’ll head out as soon as you’re done…?” Her sentence tapered off to a question, as if implying that he needed to hurry up.

Still utterly confused by the entire situation, Kankuro held up a finger for them to wait as he finished his closing routine. It wasn’t until he heard a few giggles from the trio that he remembered he was still in a mesh shirt and latex pants. _Oh god._ Kankuro paused for a moment to beg for divine forces to strike him dead in that moment and frowned when his corporal body remained intact. With a sigh, he moved out from behind the counter to stand with the group, “Ready.”

The group walked out to Hinata’s Prius and drove to what Kankuro presumed was Ino’s house. The whole ordeal felt like a friendly hostage situation, as Sakura in the back seat next to him remained silent for the entirety of the ride, despite his frequent questions. Once outside the apartment, the group emerged from Hinata’s crampt car and went inside. Hinata, Sakura and Kankuro all sat down on the couch while Ino disappeared into her room. She came out minutes later with a large black jacket in her hand. She tossed the jacket at Kankuro’s face, “Put this on; your nipples are intimidating me.”

Kankuro, both embarrassed and relieved, slipped the jacket around him and zipped it up. He hadn’t realized how chilly it had been to be practically shirtless all day. He stuffed his hands in the jacket pockets and slumped a bit in the chair. Kankuro wanted to reach for his phone to ask Kiba what the fuck was going on or just to chat with him but remembered that his phone would probably be off during the movie. Before he could sulk, Ino stood in front of the TV with hands on her hips.

“So, Kankuro, you’ve probably been wondering why we invited you here, correct?” Ino asked, a smirk on her soft lips. _‘Invited’ isn’t the word I would use…’man’napped, maybe?_ He nodded.

“Well, it’s come to our attention that you and Kiba seem to be getting pretty close as of late.” Ino stated, the smirk widening. _What is going on here?_

Hinata spoke up next at his side, “We just wanted to know if you cared about Kiba?”

“Well, of course. He’s my friend and I-“ Kankuro started but Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder with enough delicate pressure to make him stop talking. He met her eyes and saw that they were soft and understanding, sending a wave of calmness washing over him.

“No, Kankuro, that’s not what I meant. We wanted to know if you _like_ Kiba.”

A chill trickled down his spine. He glanced to Ino and Sakura who looked as if they were holding their breaths in anticipation of his response. Kankuro felt uneasy until he focused his attention back on Hinata’s face. Her grip on his shoulder moved to his hand as she held it softly between her two smaller palms. As if Hinata was transferring her courage and strength into his body, Kankuro finally spoke up. “I-I… _yes_.” He mumbled, his voice barely audible. While Ino and Sakura jumped in excitement, Hinata simply squeezed Kankuro’s hand in understanding.

When Kankuro finally met her eyes again, he gave her a sheepish smile. His normal tough demeanor had completely faded and instead, sitting on the couch was a shy, awkward love-struck idiot. With nipple piercings. “You think I have a chance?”

Sakura grabbed his shoulders with such abrupt strength that Kankuro’s eyes snapped open wide, “Are you kidding me?! When he gets drunk, he treats our groupchat like his diary! If I have to hear about your ‘supple ass’ when you wear skinny jeans one more time, I might murder Kiba myself.” Judging by the tightness of her grip that still lingered as she released him, he fully believed that she was capable of murder.

Kankuro both laughed and blushed at the idea of a drunk Kiba fantasizing about his ass to his closest friends. “Sorry about that. I hope this outfit doesn’t fuel his fire too much.”

Ino rolled her eyes, “Oh yeah, I’m sure you were really concerned about not turning on Kiba _too_ much when you put that on today. I won’t lie, you look like a-“

“Male stripper?” Kankuro interjected. Ino laughed and gestured to “make it rain” on Kankuro. He put his hands up in defense, “Hey, sometimes a guy’s got to show-off a little.”  

“Sure, whatever you say. Now, we didn’t invite you over just to make you confess. We want to lay down some rules before you become more involved with our friend.” Sakura stood up next to Ino and rested an arm on her shoulder.

“Okay, go on.”

“First,” Hinata spoke, still seated next to him, “Kiba is very important to us. If you break his heart, we will send your soul into eternal damnation.”

Kankuro swallowed hard and paused for a beat. Never had he heard Hinata speak with such malicious intent, which only added to the intensity of her threat.

“Second, Kiba’s dated a lot of different people in the past. His last relationship was two summers ago with Tamaki, who worked at a pet store that he occasionally got supplies from. We all thought it would last, until he found out she had cheated on him a few times. It broke his damn heart so badly that he hasn’t seen anyone since.” Sakura said, a slight frown on her face.

Kankuro felt an ache in his heart knowing that Kiba had gone through the pain of infidelity.

“Third, Kiba can be a little arrogant. Sometimes he smells. Sometimes he acts like he’s been raised by wolves. But above all else, he is a fiercely loyal friend. Like a dog still, I guess. Are you a dog person?” Ino asked.

Naturally, Kankuro would say no. He had never been a big fan of animals as Temari refused to let anyone bring in another living creature into their already tight apartment.  But he actually enjoyed seeing Akamaru, most likely because he was usually followed by Kiba. Regardless, Kankuro thought about them taking a dog to the dog park or buying stupid matching sweaters for all of them. It was cheesy, but Kankuro had a soft spot for tacky dates. He nodded in response to Ino’s question.

“Well, great. I think you two would make a perfect couple. However, you may need to be patient with Kiba. Let him work his way to asking you out; we already know he’s planning on it.” Hinata said with a smile. Kankuro felt his face get warm and his heart beat a bit faster. Everything was falling into place so suddenly that he wasn’t sure if he should be overjoyed or suspicious. But he agreed. He would wait, if not for Kiba’s sake then for his own as he was no where near confident enough to make the first move. Most people would feel excited at the news that their crush was mutual, but Kankuro felt as if he was dropped into a glass room and everything he did had the chance of sending it all crashing down upon him. He sat, consumed in his inner dialogue until a question popped into his mind.

“Hold on. Kiba’s not really at the movies right now, is he?”

The trio laughed, with Sakura placing a hand on his shoulder as the laugh subsided, “No, but we told him we were. Had to make sure the two loverboys wouldn’t be communicating in secret. If he knew you were just hanging out here with us, he would’ve come barging through those doors.”

Kankuro groaned at the stupidity of their ploy but nonetheless, he was thankful for this night. Thankful to know that Kiba’s friends had accepted him into their own. Thankful that Kiba shared some feelings for him, despite all the stupid mistakes he had ever made in front of him. And lastly, Kankuro was thankful for his outfit choice that day and silently hoped Kiba was getting hammered so he could beg Hinata to share Kiba’s late night drunk thoughts with him.

Pulling out his phone, Kankuro opened his messages with Kiba.

> Kankuro, 6:35pm: _how’s it going?_
> 
> Kiba, 6:37pm: _good :) eating sushi with shino. Sorry for not inviting; it was bug boy’s idea_
> 
> Kankuro, 6:37pm: _no worries; you’ll have to take me some other time ;)_

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kankuro forgets to pack a lunch for Temari, Kiba offers his in exchange for a lunch date with Kankuro. Thankfully, Kankuro wore lipstick today.

The next three weeks were some of the best in Kankuro’s life. After learning that Kiba shared the same feelings, Kankuro found himself relaxing a bit, not having to worry about instigating those feelings in the first place anymore. His Hot Topic breaks with Hinata and Kiba continued, allowing the three to become closer and closer still. They had created inside jokes, sent goofy photos between each other and made tentative plans for a ski trip that December. Things had improved in Kankuro’s life, all thanks to his friendship with Kiba. But the seeds of a more intimate relationship were still there, waiting for Kiba to speak it into existence. As much as Kankuro so desperately wanted to ask him out, he respected Ino, Sakura and Hinata’s wishes and waited. He would wait for a year if that’s what it took. But for now, they would date inside Kankuro’s dreamy subconscious.

In the middle of one particularly chaste dream, Kankuro was abruptly awoken by a loud vibration against his cheek. He had fallen asleep that night texting Kiba and must have just nodded off in the middle of a text, causing his phone to smack against his face. He picked up the phone and sat up, eyes still adjusting to the early morning sunlight that penetrated through the blinds. He opened up the wake-up text.

> Temari, 9:05am: Got called into work suddenly. Couldn’t wake Shikamaru up so I took the car. Ask someone for a ride. Bring me a lunch plz

Kankuro groaned. He hated not having a car and especially hated having to bum a ride off a friend. He opened up his text conversation with Kiba and typed out a message.

> Kankuro, 9:06am: Hey, Tem took the car so I’m out of a ride. Could u give me a lift to work at 10:30???

Thankfully, Kiba was awake, taking a group of dogs on their morning walk. He smiled when he saw a message from Kankuro pop up on his screen and quickly typed out a reply.

> Kiba, 9:07am: Sure! C u then

Kiba hurried their morning walk, desperate to put on a change of clothes before picking Kankuro up. He hadn’t planned to do any mall training today, so he wore a greasy Inuzuka Dog Training work shirt and jeans…not exactly the look he wanted to show off to his crush. Kiba spent the duration of the morning walk, which had turned into a morning jog, thinking of how he was going to sneak past Tsume in the middle of his shift. As terrified of his own mother as he was, Kiba was a lovestruck idiot who could not let Kankuro down….even if it means getting an earful later from Tsume. He would just switch his mall training day to today.

By 10:25pm, Kankuro had rolled out of bed and was finally ready for the day. He waited patiently by his phone, occasionally opening his text conversation with Kiba to see if the message was hiding. When his phone finally buzzed, Kankuro popped up on his feet and nearly flew down his apartment steps. Seeing Kiba was still a rush, as if he had gone months without being able to gaze upon his face.

Kiba greeted Kankuro with a smile and wave as he plopped into the passenger side seat.

“Thanks for saving my ass, Kiba. I would be a sweaty mess if I had to walk in this heat.” Kankuro laughed, buckling his seat. Akamaru popped his head up from the backseat to lick the back of Kankuro’s neck.

Kiba was flicking through something on his phone and didn’t look up as he spoke, “Hey, no worries. I’m just surprised you _wanted_ a ride in my _big dorky van_.” Kankuro rolled his eyes and smiled. After scrolling for a minute, Kiba let out a small _Aha!_ and clicked something. From the radio console, a blaring of horns started, followed by a synth and drum beat.

“What the hell is this?” Kankuro asked.

Kiba practically beamed, “ _This_ is “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel, a classic. I made this playlist for you…uh, of songs you should listen to.” A faint tinge of blush crawled across his face. “Here, you can flip through the songs.”

Kiba handed his phone to Kankuro. It was a Spotify playlist with about 50 songs on it titled “Kankuro” with a purple and black heart emoji. Kankuro smiled to himself and scrolled through the songs. He decided to tease Kiba with the playlist. He hit play on another song on the playlist: “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates. Kankuro raised an eyebrow as Kiba turned his head slightly to look at him, blush deepening.

“Uh p-pick another one.” Kiba stuttered, face hot with blush and knuckles white against the steering wheel.

Kankuro smirked and obliged. The next song he picked was “Get Down On It” by Kool & The Gang.

“Oh, c’mon that’s a classic! Urgh, next!” Kiba groaned in embarrassment.

Kankuro was having too much fun to stop. Next song: “Beat It” by Michael Jackson.

Kiba shot him a quick glare before returning his eyes to the road, “No, no that’s not even what that song is about! NEXT!”  

Kankuro was on the verge of bursting out with laughter at the flustered Kiba. The playlist made it all too easy. After a barrage of “Don’t You Want Me”, “Hungry Eyes”, and “Like a Virgin”, Kiba was blushing a deep red. _Just how many fucking romance songs did I put on this?_ He sulked, but he knew the answer. A lot. It was a playlist about his crush after all.

Kankuro decided to play dirty, and searched for a song not on the playlist. When the soft whispers of “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye made their way through Kiba’s speakers, he nearly swerved into the opposite lane of traffic.

“Kankuro, if you don’t play a _normal_ song, I swear to god I will toss you and my phone out the window.” Kiba gritted his teeth, but Kankuro couldn’t hold back anymore. He let out a belly aching laugh at the sight of the overly flustered Kiba, and the sound of Kankuro’s laughter made him relax his jaw and join in. He let go of his death grip on the wheel as “Under Pressure” came on.

When they finally reached the mall, they parked by the north wing and walked through the Macy’s. As the pair and Akamaru left the store and walked in front of Sephora, Temari’s glare caught Kankuro’s eyes. Like a dagger shot through the air, Temari’s glance stopped Kankuro in his tracks. Suddenly, his mind went blank except for one thing: _I forgot Temari’s lunch._

“Oh shit, Kiba. I’m a dead man walking.” Kankuro didn’t take his eyes off of his sister. From behind the counter she dragged a finger across her neck and then pointed at him. “I forgot to bring Temari a lunch.”

With his gaze fixed on his sister, Kankuro didn’t notice Kiba pull a brown paper bag from his backpack and place it in his hands. He snapped once in front of Kankuro to bring him out of his spell.

“Give her my lunch. It’s not much, but it’s not like you would have packed a gourmet lunch either.” Kiba unfurled the bag so Kankuro could look in it. A can of tuna, some crackers, an orange, and two granola bars.

Kankuro stared at Kiba, blinking a few times. “I can’t take this, Kiba, it’s your lunch. I-“

“Don’t worry,” Kiba cut him off, “You’ll just have to treat me to lunch at the food court today.” He smiled, melting Kankuro’s worries.

Kankuro nodded sheepishly, a slight blush now forming under his purple makeup. “Thank you. I have lunch at 1.”

Kiba smiled grew wider as he placed a hand on Kankuro’s bicep, “Great, sounds like a date. See you then!” In an instant, Kiba and Akamaru were a blur, heading towards the south wing of the mall for training. Kankuro stood in a daze, both incredibly thankful for Kiba and completely mystified by him. He had hoped Temari hadn’t noticed the exchange as he approached her counter and slid the paper bag across the table top. Temari’s face was stoic as she deftly opened the bag with one finger, eyeing the contents.

“Since when did we have tuna in the pantry?” She questioned, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

An instinctual hand rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, you know, it was hidden behind some of Gaara’s gluten free crap.” He laughed nervously. To his relief, Temari nodded and grabbed the bag before heading to the staff room to put it away. By the time she returned, Kankuro was already out of the store and walking across to the piercing pagoda.

His schedule until lunch was mundane, two standard ear piercings and one double piercing. As 12:30 rolled around, Kankuro was growing impatient of watching his watch slowly tick by. He was in the middle of being berated by some suburban mom with a distinct ‘ _can I speak to your manager’_ vibe, complaining that his piercing gun had caused her daughter’s ear infection.

After glancing down at his watch for a second, Kankuro’s attention moved back to the mom yelling at him.

“-you even listening?! I demand a refund!” She barked, arm waving angrily in the air that made the several dozen cross bracelets she wore clamor together. Kankuro felt his right eye start to twitch in annoyance. Bitchy customers like this really pissed him off, and he wasn’t about to let some Subaru driving mom ruin his _date_ with Kiba.

With a huff, Kankuro placed his hands on the counter and leaned forward to look as intimidating as possible, “Listen, _ma’am_ , you came to a shitty mall piercing station to get your daughter’s ear pierced with a piercing gun. You realize how stupid it is to go to a mall to get a piercing? If you want a legit and safe piercing, don’t you think you should go to…oh, I don’t know…a store with certified professional piercers? Not a bonafide hot dog stand in a shitty mall? Now, that piercing was fairly cheap and I’m sure all the moms in your Bible group all got their daughters’ piercings done here and they turned out fine. Your daughter probably couldn’t take care of the piercing properly because you didn’t think to use the maintence kit I gave you.” Kankuro’s voice was monotoned, yet dripping with annoyance. He reached into a drawer beneath him to pull out the cream and saline solution before sliding it towards her.

“Take these and apply them to the infection. Within a few days, the infection will subside. If not, then you can bitch me out to my supervisor, but I get the feeling you won’t feel so high and mighty talking to a nut job with 22 piercings nicknamed _Pain_ , so let’s hope you can figure out how to read directions this time. We still got a problem?”

The mom stared in disbelief, shock and horror framing her face. She stammered with anger for a few seconds before snatching the two bottles and turning on her heels to march away. With a sigh, Kankuro plopped himself down in the chair behind the counter, trying to let the anger building up in him fade away. _Fuck, why do I have to give a shit about people like that?_

Luckily, no one came to bother him for the last 25 minutes of his shift which he spent sitting comfortably in his chair. Five minutes before his break, Kiba stopped by to wait for him. As he approached the counter, he propped an elbow up to lean his head against his hand as he smiled at Kankuro. “You always this lazy at work?” Akamaru stood up on hind legs to look over the counter, something Kiba should have corrected but decided to just let the dog be a dog for a moment.

Kankuro leaned forward with hands on his knees and stuck his tongue out at Kiba. The motion was quick but Kiba was sure he saw a glint of light on Kankuro’s tongue. _A tongue ring?_ Kiba felt a shiver down his spine, thinking about how it would feel as Kankuro snaked his tongue down his-

“I’m ready when you are.” Kankuro sat up and Kiba snapped back to reality, with the tips of his ears burning slightly. As Kankuro walked out from behind the counter, he locked the half door and approached Akamaru with open arms. The dog leapt up to him, desperately trying to lick the makeup off Kankuro’s cheeks. He quickly whipped out a dog treat from his back pocket and tossed it in the air where it was quickly consumed in a second. Kankuro laughed softly as Akamaru wagged his tail in joy, and Kiba fought back the urge to just wrap the both of them in his arms.

The trio made their way toward the food court and were abruptly smacked in the face with a wave of aromas, from garbage pizza to greasy Chinese food. Kankuro scanned the food court for any familiar faces and was relieved to find no one. The last thing he wanted was one of their friends tagging along on their _date._ He cringed slightly at the thought of calling it that. He would have hoped their first date would be a romantic night at a fancy restaurant or something out of one of Ino and Sakura’s rom coms….not the _mall food court._

Kankuro turned to face Kiba. “So, what are you in the mood for? You decide since I’m treating you.”

 _‘I’m treating you’_ made Kiba smile softly. He looked around, trying best to pick a place Kankuro would want to eat at as well. Finally, he pointed towards a burger joint. “Sammy’s?”

Kankuro shrugged and started walking towards Sammy’s. He wasn’t much of a burger person, but after noticing Kiba’s passion for greasy food, he played along like he was. The two ordered double patty burgers and an order of larger fries to share, along with two milkshakes. Kankuro grabbed the red plastic tray with their food and followed as Kiba picked a table for two right in the middle of the food court. Kankuro sat the tray down between them and handed Kiba his burger and shake.

The food wasn’t necessarily horrible, but it was certainly not the twenty-dollar steak he imagined he’d be eating on their first _date. Ugh, stop calling it that!_ Regardless, the two ate their burgers in no time and began to eat their shared fries. Kankuro took a sip of his milkshake and let out a small _‘mmhmm’_ in pleasant surprise of it being pretty good. Kiba watched as the cookies’n’cream milkshake shot up through the clear straw between Kankuro’s lips.

“Pretty good? Mind if I try? You can try my peanut butter and chocolate one.” Kiba asked, holding his milkshake out in front of Kankuro. Without thinking, Kankuro traded off milkshakes with Kiba without exchanging straws. Kiba took a large sip of Kankuro’s shake before nodding his head, “This is fucking good!”

Kankuro was staring down at Kiba’s milkshake, stirring it briefly before taking a sip. When he looked up in the middle of his sip, he noticed a faint ring of purple around Kiba’s lips which caused him to nearly choke on the peanut butter and chocolate shake. Kiba had gotten lipstick from Kankuro’s straw on his lips but was blissfully unaware. He stared in horror as Kankuro swallowed the shake with a hard gulp before coughing slightly.

“You’re not allergic to peanuts, are you?!” Kiba stammered, standing up to pat the back of Kankuro’s back as he coughed, thinking he was choking still.

When Kankuro regained his normal breathing, he left out a low chuckle which only confused Kiba more. “You have lipstick from my straw all over you.” Kiba’s eyes went wide and his cheeks were tinted with a blush that Kankuro couldn’t help but notice. He looked utterly adorable to Kankuro as he ran a hand over his mouth to try to get the purple off, only smudging it more.

Kankuro grinned at the flustered Kiba before reaching out to grab his hand. He gently pulled it down from in front of Kiba’s mouth. “Here,” Kankuro spoke softly and brought a thumb up to his own lips. With a quick flick of his tongue, which made Kiba 98% sure he spotted a tongue ring, Kankuro wet his thumb and brought it to Kiba’s lips. His lips felt cold to the touch due to the milkshake and Kankuro couldn’t help but notice that Kiba’s lips parted slightly at the sensation of his touch. He applied a soft pressure as he lightly dragged his thumb over Kiba’s bottom and top lip, the rest of his hand cupping Kiba’s chin.

Kiba was frozen solid, watching in disbelief as Kankuro touched his lips so softly. There was a gentle and caring glint in Kankuro’s eyes as he focused his attention on Kiba’s lips. It felt like the whole mall was spinning, and the mixture of scents from the food court only made his dizziness increase. When Kankuro finally pulled his hand away from Kiba’s face, he silently stared back with a smile on his lips. Kankuro was fully aware the effect of his touch on Kiba and was proud of himself for having the courage to do it in the first place. Finally, he pointed towards his milkshake still in front of Kiba before switching their straws, “Here, you can have mine. Thanks again for helping me earlier. I’m…kinda glad I forgot the lunch.”

Kiba noticed Kankuro’s blush this time and smiled. His face was always tired from smiling so much around Kankuro, but he just had that effect on him.

* * *

Tucked away in the dark corner of the food court, next to the carousel and ATM, sat Shikamaru and Temari. Shikamaru ate a greasy piece of pizza while Temari had ‘her’ bag lunch. However, her undivided attention was focused on Kankuro and some guy she presumed was this ‘Kiba’ she had heard about. When Kankuro placed his thumb over Kiba’s lips, Temari smacked Shikamaru’s chest to get him to pay attention.

“Are you SEEING this!? Is that my little brother or a convincing body double?” Temari asked, jaw dropped.

Shikamaru furrowed his brow, “Is that a serious question or are you just that stupid?” That earned him another smack on the chest, although playfully this time.

Temari continued to watch her brother and Kiba from the shadows, taking note of how they both leaned in too impossibly close to each other to just be ‘friends’.  If they both moved in a few inches, they’d be locking lips. She had pieced together that Kankuro’s new best friend he talked so much about when intoxicated was also his crush, but she had no idea that the feelings were apparently mutual. Temari focused her attention back to her bagged lunch, but chuckled to herself thinking of all the way she was going to tease the shit out of her brother when they got home.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temari, Kankuro, and Kiba all make a decision. Thankfully, the decisions bring Kankuro and Kiba closer and closer and closer together.

Temari had made up her mind. She had grown tired of seeing her brother move from through the motion of hook-up culture, only to have his romantic side crushed by unwarranted expectations. What he needed was a real relationship, someone to listen to him bitch about work or to hold his head up when he got so damn defeated. Temari didn’t know this Kiba, but even from the brief encounter she observed, she knew there was chemistry between them. So she decided: she was going to get Kankuro and Kiba to date.

With a quick flurry of messages, she set her plan into action. She would drive the car from work tonight, saying some lie like she got her period and needed to run home as soon as possible. Kankuro was dense when it came to menstruation so she was sure he wouldn’t say anything about it. Shikamaru was to bring Choji to her apartment and start their tradition of making edibles. Kankuro would then have to ask Kiba for a ride and as they approached, Temari would greet them both and offer Kiba some edibles. From what Shikamaru had said, Kiba was known to get high frequently, so he would probably take the bait. And boom: Kiba and Kankuro would be together in the apartment. How she was going to get them to be alone was beyond her at this point, but Temari was practically giddy with excitement at her plan. However, Temari forgot to account for Kankuro’s growing confidence around Kiba.

* * *

After flicking open his messages that evening to see that Temari wouldn’t be able to drive him home that night, Kankuro shrugged and opened up his conversation with Kiba. Any excuse to spend more time with him was welcome in Kankuro’s eyes.

 

> Kankuro, 5:20pm: heyyy, would u be able to drive me back tonight?? mother nature reminded my sis she only pegs her bf so she had to go home early. Get off in 10.
> 
> Kiba, 5:21pm: jesus fuck hahahaha sure I’d love to

Kankuro returned back to his work, finishing his last few inventory sheets. When 5:30 rolled around, Kiba approached the piercing pagoda while Kankuro stood with his back turned, stapling papers.

Kiba grinned and quickly changed his expression to woe and sighed, “Wow, you ask twice for a ride and you can’t even be ready when I show up?” Kankuro turned around with a smirk.

“That’s funny, I remember you saying you’d ‘love’ to give me a ride. Is that really how you treat something you’d love to do?” Immediately, Kankuro realized exactly what he had said and wished he could sew his mouth shut.

Kiba had lost his sarcastic demeanor and now flushed a deep pink. His mouth was dry and he could barely mutter out a response, “J-just let me know when you are done.” Kiba fought back the dirty thoughts that wanted to overwhelm his mind and found himself slightly dizzy. Thankfully, Kankuro finished up his closing procedure quickly and the pair were on their way to Kiba’s van. As they got in and buckled up, Kiba handed Kankuro his phone and aux cord slowly.

“Just hit shuffle and change the song when I ask. No funny business, Kankuro.” Kiba pointed. Kankuro raised his hands to feign innocence.  

As they approached Kankuro’s apartment, Kiba put the van into park. There was a pause, neither of them wanting to part for the night. Kankuro took Kiba’s hesitation as a sign to make a move. He turned slightly in his seat so that he could face Kiba properly.

“Hey, I think Choji and Shikamaru are coming over tonight to make some edibles. You are invited if you’d like….?”

Kiba smiled brightly, nodded, and quickly shifted the car back into drive to park at a visitor spot.  Now his night would be full of his two loves: Kankuro and weed. Kankuro led them up the stairs to their apartment and unlocked the door. As it swung open, Kankuro was greeted by Temari in an apron.

“You all got started without us?” Kankuro asked, walking past his sister with hands stuffed in his pockets. Kiba remained in the door way and gave Temari a slight wave before following behind Kankuro.

Temari’s eyes were wide. This was not how her master plan was supposed to happen but to her surprise, Kankuro took the initiative. “You going to introduce your _friend_ to us?” She asked, arms crossed in front of her apron. Shikamaru and Choji were mixing batter and simply nodded to Kiba.

Kankuro was suspicious of Temari but chose to ignore it, “Oh, this is Kiba. My _friend._ ” His tone matched Temari as he tried to convey an important message to his older sister. Unbeknownst to Kankuro, Temari was already completely aware of what type of _friend_ Kiba was.

To Kankuro’s relief, Kiba got along great with Temari and it didn’t take long for the two to start cracking jokes, mainly at his expense. Kiba went through pictures of all the dogs at work on his phone with Temari “oooh” and “ahh”ing at his side at the cute dogs. One particular dog, a puppy Golden retriever, sent Temari into a fit of squeals as she grabbed Kiba’s phone to zoom in on the puppy. Kiba reached his finger out to “boop” the photo of the dog.

Kankuro groaned…it was all too sickening sweet for him. Both Temari and Kiba shot him a glare, turning the phone towards him so he could see the puppy. “C’mon, Kank, that’s the most adorable thing ever!” Temari complained.

Kankuro was saved by the ding of the oven timer and quickly moved to take out the brownie pans and turn off the oven. Temari and Kiba had already moved on, making a joke about how domestic Kankuro looked in Temari’s pink apron. After they all impatiently waited fifteen minutes for the brownies to cool, Shikamaru cut out two pieces for everyone. Kankuro took a small plate for Kiba and himself. He placed the plate in front of Kiba and put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer so that Kankuro could whisper in his ear. “You wanna watch a movie or something in my room?”

Kiba sheepishly nodded and picked up his plate. Kankuro didn’t say anything as he led Kiba from the living room to his bedroom down the hall. Temari took notice and shot Shikamaru and Choji and shit-eating grin. Kankuro opened the door and let Kiba in, closing and quietly locking the door behind him.

Kiba stood for a moment to take in Kankuro’s room. He had black curtains that cast the room with shadows. The bed spread was black and unmade, not that Kiba was shocked. The walls were white but decorated with vintage movie posters, from _Them!_ to _The Fly_ , a string of blue holiday lights. The most unique feature of Kankuro’s room was a small black shelf that held a collection of wooden figurines and puppets, ranging from juvenile in craft to intricate and detailed people carved from wood. Kiba immediately gravitated towards the collection and Kankuro stood in embarrassment, hand scratching the back of his neck.

Kiba was quiet as he looked over the various shelves and their contents. Finally, he spoke without turning to face Kankuro, “Did you make these?”

Kankuro nodded at first and then muttered out a weak “yeah” when he realized Kiba wasn’t looking at him. Kankuro’s glance shifted to the carpet underneath his socks.

“Holy shit-“ Kiba turned around to face Kankuro and the sudden motion in Kankuro’s peripheral caused him to look up. When he met Kiba’s eyes, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Kiba was beaming, jaw dropped in astonishment.

“This is fucking incredible! Why didn’t you tell me you were an artist?” Kiba returned his attention to the collection and gestured towards a small puppet. Kankuro nodded and Kiba picked up the puppet and held it close to his face to study all the fine details.

Kankuro shrugged slightly and smiled as he watched Kiba awestruck by his handiwork. “I figured you would think it was weird to ya know…make puppets.”

Kiba looked at Kankuro with a hurt expression. He set the puppet back on the shelf and stood in front of Kankuro, just a few inches from his face. Kiba’s voice was soft yet passionate, “Kankuro, I would never think that. I think you are incredibly talented and I’m glad you shared your talents with me.” He stared deep into Kankuro’s eyes, desperate to convey the true meaning of his words. Kankuro clenched and released a hand, desperately trying to distract himself from how badly he wanted to kiss Kiba right then and now, to tell him that he would hold anything back anymore. No more secrets. But he knew Kiba was nervous, afraid to get his heart broken again, so Kankuro stayed in his place.

Kiba took a step back, hoping Kankuro wouldn’t notice the blush forming at the tips of his ears from being so close to the taller man. He stepped towards their plate of brownies and handed one to Kankuro before eating one himself. “So,” Kiba spoke with his mouthful, “You said something about a movie?”

Kankuro nodded and crouched down in front of his TV stand to his movie collection.

“I feel like I still have so much to learn about you, Mr. Mysterious. How about this, let’s watch your favorite childhood movie.” Kiba smiled, leaning against the wall.

Kankuro kaughed, “Okay… you asked for it. _The Muppets Movie_ it is.” He picked up the old DVD and waved it in the air with a grin. Kiba laughed, head knocking back into the wall behind him. Kankuro got up to put the DVD in and sat down on the edge of his bed. Now he had to make a decision. The TV was set up so he could watch it from bed, but the full bed would be just enough room for them to both sit, although extremely close to each other. He could offer a seat from his desk, but then Kiba would be completely away from him. Too close or too far.

Kankuro was self-indulgent, so he sat back against the headboard of the bed and patted the cover next to him. “You going to join or stand through the whole movie?”

Kiba paused before crossing the room to sit besides Kankuro. The space on the bed was limited, especially considering how much bigger Kankuro was compared to Kiba. As he settled into the most comfortable position, Kiba was aware that his right knee and shoulder were brushing against Kankuro’s.

Here Kiba was….sitting on Kankuro’s bed. Alone. Slowly slipping into a pleasant high from the edibles. It was enough to make his head spin. He focused his attention on the movie but found himself distracted by how much Kankuro laughed at all the stupid jokes. Slowly, Kiba glanced at Kankuro through the corner of his eye and found him mouthing the lines from memory. Kiba grinned, dumbfounded by how someone could look so goofy and yet so cute.

Thirty minutes into the movie and Kankuro was starting to feel the effects of the edibles. By this point both of them had eaten their two brownies each and were feeling great. Kankuro realized how much he loved watching movies with Kiba, especially how he would snort with laughter at a particularly funny scene. One scene with Kermit caused both of them to laugh until tears welled up in their eyes. Wiping the tears away, Kiba then rested his hands lightly on the top of the comforter. With a burst of confidence, Kankuro reached for Kiba’s hand and slowly intertwined their fingers. His grip was soft and steady. Shocked by the sudden sensation, Kiba jerked his hand slightly, but Kankuro squeezed it in reassurance.

Kiba could feel his heart beating in his chest as he turned his head to look at Kankuro. Kankuro’s gaze stayed fixed on the TV but the way he lightly rubbed his finger across the back on Kiba’s hand relaxed Kiba’s mind. It wasn’t a mistake; Kankuro was holding his hand.

They finished off the movie, slowly riding out their high but never removing their hands. When the credits ended and the movie screen reverted back to the title, Kankuro groaned and got up to turn it off, only then separating from Kiba. He slipped the DVD back in its case, turned on a small speaker connected to his phone and plugged in his blue string lights. To Kiba’s surprise, Kankuro flicked off the overhead lights so that the only source of light was royal blue and baby blue, which was thankfully calming and not overpowering. Kankuro plopped back down on the bed, this time laying down with his head resting on his folded arms. Between the music, the dim lights and now the fact that the movie was over, Kiba was a bundle of nerves.

Finally, Kankuro broke the silence between them. “What are your plans tomorrow night?”

Kiba racked his brain for a moment, “Oh, The Kage Bar is hosting a DJ tomorrow so they are turning it into a nightclub. Sakura, Ino and Hinata are all going with me, but it’s honestly just an excuse for Ino and Sakura to grind on each other in public.”

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. “ _That_ sounds like fun.”

“Huh, I didn’t take you for a club goer.”

Kankuro caught Kiba’s eyes and winked, “I wasn’t referring to the club part.”

Kiba rolled his eyes, feeling a blush sweep across his face. The imagined sensation of Kankuro’s body flush against his back, arching his back so that his ass pressed into Kankuro’s bulge…

Kiba coughed and shook his head to push the erotic thoughts away. Kankuro seemed to pick up on this mannerism and licked his lips in mutual arousal at the content of Kiba’s thoughts. “So, am I invited?” he asked.

Kiba nodded, and relayed the plan. They would pick him up at 7:30, go grab a bite to eat and then head to the bar. Kankuro’s mind wandered to his closet, thinking about the perfect outfit to wear to _go clubbing with Kiba_ , which was an activity he hadn’t imagined but wish he had sooner _._ The ‘male stripper’ mesh shirt only seemed appropriate for once.

The pair continued to chat, feeling the effects of the edibles finally wearing off. Kankuro reached for his juul and brought it to his lips before slowly releasing a puff of smoke. Without asking, he handed it to Kiba.

Kiba brought the juul up to his lips. “Wanna see a vape trick?” Kankuro rolled his eyes but sat up to watch Kiba. He started out with the basic smoke rings and the moved into waterfalls and vape tricks Kankuro had never even heard of.

Out of nowhere, Kiba gave Kankuro a grin that made him immediately suspicious. “I have one more trick for you.” Kiba brought the juul to his lips slowly, fully aware the Kankuro’s attention was on his mouth, and inhaled. The vapor filled his lungs and calmed the nerves twisted up inside of him. Kiba leaned forward until his lips were a few inches from Kankuro’s and exhaled, sending a cascade of cool vapor over Kankuro’s lip. After pausing in disbelief for a second, Kankuro quickly inhaled the vapor and then exhaled through his nose, making the metal of his septum piercing cool against his skin.

Kiba remained close, eyes darting between Kankuro’s lip and his eyes.

Kankuro swallowed down hard. “W-what was that one called?”

Pleased with the effect his little trick had, Kiba smirked. “Shotgun. Surprised you hadn’t heard of it.”

Kankuro shook his head, “No, b-but I liked that.” God, this was embarrassing. He only had a few inches to go before his lips would crash against Kiba’s and yet he remained….completely flustered over a vape trick. Kankuro prayed that drunk him wouldn’t blurt that out to Temari one day.

Kiba pulled back and stood up off the bed, grabbing a jacket he had discarded earlier. “I better head home; I work early tomorrow. Walk me out?” Kiba held out a hand to help Kankuro up. Kankuro accepted and flung himself back to his feet, but still kept a hold of Kiba’s hand. Kiba’s eyes flashed down and smiled at how Kankuro’s larger hand (with black painted nails of course) enveloped his smaller one perfectly. Kankuro took a deep breath before stepping out into the hallway and was relieved to see everyone passed out of the couch. He squeezed Kiba’s hand slightly and they continued out the apartment and down the stairs to Kiba’s car.

Kiba stood in front of the car, hand still wrapped in Kankuro’s. The pair both suffered silently, desperately wanting to kiss but unsure of the other’s intentions.

A cold breeze swept through the parking lot and made Kiba reach for his jacket zipper, causing Kankuro to release his hold on his hand. The lack of contact again felt so strange to Kankuro, as if he was incomplete.

With a fully zipped up jacket, Kiba flashed an embarrassed smile at Kankuro. “Thanks for showing me your puppet collection. That was really special. So…um, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at 7:30?”

Kankuro returned the smile, “Thank you for supporting me. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night with you…and the others.”

Kiba squirmed, praying his mind wouldn’t bring up _that_ thought until he was safely in his bedroom tonight. He waved a hand goodbye and reached for his keys in his pocket to unlock the van. Without thinking, Kankuro grabbed Kiba’s hand to spin him around. Kiba stared back at him with confusion. Smiling softly, Kankuro leaned forward and brought his lips to Kiba’s cheek, placing a chaste kiss on his blushing skin. As he pulled away, Kankuro paused at the same distance as Kiba’s vape trick earlier. His eyes were gleaming as he whispered in a husky voice, “Goodnight, Kiba.”

Kankuro took a moment to admire the blushing mess that was Kiba before turning to walk back to his apartment with hands in his pockets. Kiba simply watched until Kankuro rested against the upper level railing, waiting for Kiba to get in his car and head home.

Kiba, however, needed a moment to breathe. He was dizzy, and his stomach flipped on itself as if he had eaten a tub of lard. Fumbling into the driver’s seat, Kiba turned on the car and waited as the engine revved.

* * *

 Then it was decided. Kiba would no longer sit and waste away in fear of getting his heart broken. Tomorrow he was going to tell Kankuro how he felt and if Kankuro truly felt the same, Kiba was going to give him the time of his fucking life at the club tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With vodka in his veins, Kiba throws his inhibitions to the side and starts to close the gap between him and Kankuro, physically and emotionally.

After a long day of what-ifs running amuck in his brain, Kiba was relieved to see Hinata waiting for him by the bench in front of Bath & Body Works. It was 5pm and she had just gotten off her shift, waiting for him to stop by and pick her up. Hinata seemed to know the mental distress Kiba was under and greeted him with a hug. Pulling away, she smiled at her best friend, “You ready to pick up Sakura and Ino?”

Kiba managed a slight smile and nodded, turning on his heels towards the escalator. The four of them had made plans to get ready at Hinata’s place before they leave to pick up Kankuro. Kiba was reluctant at first, knowing that the trio would be fussing over his looks but he secretly hoped Ino and Sakura would give him some dancing advice for the night. Clubs weren’t really Kiba’s thing, but the thought of pressing his body against Kankuro’s was all he needed to get through it.

They descended the escalator and made their way to Victoria’s Secret where Ino and Sakura were gathering their things to leave. When they spotted Kiba and Hinata, they waved and turned to giggle at each other. _Oh boy. It’s gonna be a long night…_

Sakura and Ino joined the group and Kiba pointed to a bag tucked under Sakura’s arm. He raised a questioning brow. Sakura smiled and turned to hide the bag under her arm, “Now now, you’ll get to see your surprise later, Kiba. Gosh, you are just like Naruto.”

Kiba crossed his arms in defense, “Do not compare me to that _doofus_. Wait-what surprise?” Judging from the way the three girls glanced at each other before bursting out in giggles told him he may not want to see his surprise. The group of four made their way to Kiba’s van and finally to Hinata’s apartment, which she shared with her cousin Neji. Neji, not one for conversation, didn’t flinch as they entered the apartment with loud chatter. Kiba got the impression he was always annoyed by Hinata’s friends but this was because Kiba was never there to see Neji’s softer side. Unbeknownst to Kiba completely, Neji would always ask Hinata how things were going with her friends when they were alone and was very intrigued to hear Hinata’s account of the night when she got back.

The group piled into Hinata’s bedroom, which was extremely spacious due to her family’s wealth. Sakura and Ino sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Kiba to take a seat in the desk chair while Hinata walked around, lighting fairy lights and candles, as well as turning on some pop tunes in the background. Once Kiba was seated, Sakura handed him the plastic bag she had been hiding. Kiba reached a hand in a pulled out a white T-shirt with rolled-and-sewn sleeves. The shirt had the cover art for London’s Calling, Kiba’s favorite Clash album. With excitement, Kiba’s eyes flashed from the shirt to the two girls sitting infront of him.

“You got this?! For me!?” Kiba beamed. Ino and Sakura exchanged a glance and a smile before nodding at Kiba.

“Go ahead and try it on. I was hoping you’d wear it tonight.” Sakura offered, pointing towards Hinata’s bathroom. Kiba had brought a change of clothes with him, but this shirt was a lot cooler than the plain white t-shirt he originally selected. He grabbed his change of outfit and headed to the bathroom. The three girls wanted in anticipation for several minutes until the bathroom door slammed open. There stood Kiba, hunched over with arms folded over his stomach. He had failed to notice that Sakura had cropped the shirt by a few inches, causing the fabric to hit right above his belly button. The exposed tan skin ended at his belt and top of his jeans. He wore a pair of white converse to complete the outfit.

“I can’t wear this, I look ridiculous!” Kiba groaned, cheeks blushing red.

Ino shook her head, “Kiba, you look great! Besides, I’m sure Kankuro would _love_ to get his hands on your bare skin as soon as possible.” She finished with a wink that made Kiba’s face burn deeper in embarrassment.

He groaned, “You all are the worst. But….I’ll trust your judgement this once.” He dropped his arms to his sides in defeat. But their torment was far from over; Ino was quick to reach for her makeup kit and force him to let her do his makeup while Hinata tackled his hair. By the time they were through with him, Kiba looked like a different person…no, an improved version of himself. His makeup was a lot more crisp than normal and was set with a heavy-duty setting spray to prevent it from running when he inevitably sweated his ass off. Hinata managed to make his hair spike in a direction that looked natural and effortless, despite using pomades and light gels. He stared in Hinata’s floor length mirror and smiled, feeling confident. He reached a hand up to touch the black stud earrings he had in, which was a habit he picked up when he thought about Kankuro. Once the group was done fussing with him, they all focused the remaining time on getting themselves ready.

By 7:15pm, the group was dressed to the nines and ready for the club. The first stop of the night was to pick up Kankuro before heading to dinner. They decided to take Hinata’s Prius out, since it would be easier to park downtown.

“Hey Kiba,” Hinata reached a hand out to stop Kiba from climbing in the front seat, “Let’s save the front seat for Kankuro. He has legs like a giraffe and its cramped back there.” Kiba nodded, realizing that Hinata had a point, and instead joined Sakura and Ino in the back seat. They saved a spot behind the driver for him.

“See Kiba, when he gets in and turns his head, you’ll be the only thing he can see.” Ino smirked devilishly, before grabbing Sakura’s hand to hold. For the short ride, Kiba kept his focus on the side window, watching as car and lights zoomed past. He could feel his earlier anxieties starting to creep back into his mind the closer they got. It had been so long since he listened to his heart and acted on it, and it was still difficult to open up like that. With a sigh, Kiba thought back to the earlier night: the way his hand felt so natural in Kankuro’s and the sensation of his lips on his cheek…The signs were all pointing to “go for it” and Kiba wouldn’t let his anxieties hold him back. Not anymore.

As they got to Kankuro’s apartment, Kiba sent him a text to tell him they were outside. Once he spotted Kankuro opening his apartment door, Kiba leaned forward to talk to Hinata.

“Hinata, I’m putting this out there now. I am going to do everything in my power to charm the pants off of him, and if everything goes right, I won’t be needing a ride back with you all.” Kiba spoke quickly, eyes watching as Kankuro descended his stairs. Hinata smiled and nodded in agreement, and the screams of excitement from Sakura and Ino were surely audible from Kankuro’s position. From the safe distance, Kiba scanned his eyes over Kankuro’s body. He wore that tight mesh shirt that fully displayed his nipple piercings, tight black jeans with rips at the knees, and black boots with a 2” heel to them. Over the mesh shirt, he wore a black leather jacket with white stars all over it. He approached the car with a wave and opened the passenger side door.

As he plopped down in the seat, Kankuro flashed a grin at Hinata and turned his head, meeting Kiba’s eyes. Kankuro’s eyes locked for a second, before glancing down Kiba, pausing briefly at the exposed strip of skin at his wasit before glancing back up to his eyes. “Good to see you again, Kiba.” He shot him a smirk before turning his head back. Ino jabbed her elbow in Kiba’s side, eyebrow wagging up and down in excitement. Sakura leaned forward to offer Kiba a grin and thumbs up. He tried desperately to hide the blush on his face but to no avail. Thankfully, the ride to the burger joint from Kankuro’s place was short.

When they got to the diner, Sakura grabbed Kiba’s arm to sit on her side of the booth while Ino did the same for Kankuro. Hinata sat on the other side of Kankuro so she could watch Kiba’s face. The group ordered the typical array of greasy food to soak up as much of the alcohol about to enter their system as possible. Soon after they placed their orders, Kiba felt something pressing against his foot. He moved it away, assuming someone stepped on it by accident, but the foot followed him. Kiba shot a quick glance under the table and saw Kankuro’s foot slowly inching up the inside of his leg. With a slight tremble running through him, Kiba looked back up at Kankuro across from him, who was watching behind hands folded in front of his mouth, the corners of his smirk barely visible. There was a faint flicker of seduction in his eyes, and Kiba swallowed hard on a dry throat. _Is he playing footsie with me?_

As the last bites of food were consumed, Kankuro’s foot remained caressing the side of Kiba’s leg, occasionally stopping when Hinata became suspicious and peeked under the table. Kankuro’s eyes remained fixed on Kiba as he pushed his empty plate aside, tongue dragging along his top lip. Kiba watched as the neon lights of the diner caught the metal backing of his tongue piercing, which Kiba was more than excited to confirm existed.

They each paid their respective bills and assumed their previous spots in Hinata’s Prius. The Kage Bar was located a few blocks south close to the heart of downtown. By the time they found a spot to park and walked a few minutes to the bar, it was around 8:45pm. At this point the DJ had started his set and the volume of the club music was deafening. Even with all the tables removed, the crowd made the bar feel packed. The group scanned the room for familiar faces, spotting Naruto and a begrudged Sasuke on what appeared to be a date.

Kankuro bent down slightly to whisper in Kiba’s ear, using his hand to cup his mouth. The whisper came out more like a yell due to the volume of the club, “I’ll go get drinks; what do you want?”

Kiba glanced to his side where Ino, Sakura, and Hinata stood, unsure of how to break through the crowd. He waved a hand to get their attention and then motioned for them to follow. Turning back to Kankuro, Kiba grabbed his hand and reached up to whisper in his ear, “Let’s all do shots!” Settling back down on the balls of his feet, Kiba led Kankuro through the crowd by his hand. Kankuro was taken back by Kiba’s grasp on his hand, but his shock quickly turned to a smile as he let the smaller man weave them through the crowd. They reached the bar with the trio of girls just behind them.

Sitting a few seats down, Kankuro spotted a few familiar faces and felt his heart sank. Staring back at him was Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Kisame and of course, Hidan. Itachi and Kisame offered a small wave and nod, while Sasori looked on with a bored expression. Deidara clearly mouthed “oh shit” and glanced over at Hidan, who stared back at Kankuro with lustful vengeance in his eyes. Kankuro diverted his attention back to Kiba, giving him a reassured smile before flagging down the bar tender to order a round of shots for his group.

* * *

Over at the small Hot Topic employee section of the bar, things were not as peaceful. Hidan turned to Deidara and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. He had a sadistic smirk on his face, as if his mind had already come up with another devious plot. “What’s Kankuro’s new boyfriend’s name?”

Deidara tried to swallow, but the spit got stuck in his throat due to Hidan’s grip, “I don’t know why you care, man, just let it go-“

Hidan’s grip tightened, and Deidara felt the back of his shirt collar digging into his neck. “I swear to Jashin, I will ring out your neck right here in this fucking bar. Answer my damn question.”

Deidara gave in, “K-kiba. He mentioned his name was Kiba.” With a satisfied grin, Hidan let go of Deidara.

Itachi, sipping on a beer on the other side of Hidan, spoke up with out turning to face them, “Not like you to care so much about an ex.”

Folding his arms across his chest, Hidan let out a huff. “All of my exes come crawling back to me, begging me to pleasure them once more. Except for that fucking bastard. He hasn’t said a thing to me in months…parading around like he’s better than the cheap fucking hookup he was. It makes me sick, Itachi.” He spat, sending a drop of spit across the counter.

* * *

Five shots of clear liquid was placed in front of Kankuro, Kiba and the trio. Behind that, the bartender brought them glasses of water. Picking up a shot glass, each of them clinked their glasses together and took the Vodka shot in quick succession. Kankuro, Kiba and Sakura shook their heads and followed the burn with water. Hinata and Ino set down their glasses and flagged the bartender for round two…then two became round eight.

By round eight, Kankuro felt his face flush with intoxication. Of course, of all the types of drunks he could be, Kankuro was a horny drunk. To his relief, Ino made the suggestion that they all got off their butts and onto the dance floor. Kankuro was a horribly awkward dancer, but with liquid courage running through his veins, he felt as nimble as a professional.

They danced as a group, singing along to the popular songs they recognized. Even if they had no idea what the song was, they were too intoxicated to care. As they danced, Kankuro watched Kiba move with attentive eyes, noticing how his cropped shirt would rise higher and higher as Kiba reached his arms up to belt out a lyric. His skin was sun kissed and toned, and Kankuro fought the urge to run his fingers along the dips of abdominal muscle on display. Kiba noticed these stares and responded by biting his lower lip, displaying his sharp canines.

When the DJ started “How Deep is Your Love” by Calvin Harris, Ino pulled Sakura away from the group to dance alone with her. Hinata seemingly disappeared into thin air, leaving Kankuro and Kiba to themselves. Without a single conscious thought in his brain, Kiba placed his arms on either side of Kankuro’s neck. The position felt a bit like a middle school dance, until Kiba slowly dragged his hands down Kankuro’s body as he got low. His fingers lingered briefly at Kankuro’s nipple piercings, enjoying the sensation of the cool metal under his fingertips and the way Kankuro sucked in a fast breath at the movement.

Kiba continued to get lower and lower until he was eye level with Kankuro’s groin, hands on either hip. Kiba glanced up at Kankuro and licked his top lip, and Kankuro felt his cock twitch slightly. Quickly, Kiba rose back up, allowing his hands to linger as they explored his body upwards.

Kankuro couldn’t help himself. He placed his hands on Kiba’s exposed waist and spun him around so that he was facing away from him. Kiba was pleasantly surprised, especially as he pressed flush against Kiba’s backside and felt Kankuro was growing hard against him. Kankuro’s hands wrapped around him, fingers exploring the crevices of muscles he had desired to touch all night. His touch was explorative but steady, as if he was memorizing every inch of Kiba’s body by touch. Kiba swayed, grinding against Kankuro in rhythm with the song. He could feel Kankuro growing painfully erect against him, causing his own erection to rub against the confines of his jeans.

So much pent-up desire was bursting threw the floodgates, and Kankuro and Kiba were happy to let lose. Kiba snaked his arm up and around Kankuro’s head, bringing him closer to Kiba’s neck. His fingers played in the tresses of Kankuro’s hair and the touch caused a low growl to leave Kankuro’s throat. Kankuro brought his lips to Kiba’s neck, kissing softly before flicking his tongue in a circle over a small patch of skin. He then moved his head back slightly to blow cool air on the wet spot. The sensation of the cool metal piercing and breath against his neck caused a pitiful moan to escape Kiba’s lips, quiet enough to be drowned out by the crowd but Kankuro could feel the vibrations of it in Kiba’s neck.

Pleased with himself, Kankuro bent his head to whisper in Kiba’s ear, “Ya’know, this would be a lot fucking hotter back at my place.” Kiba turned around to face him, which made Kankuro frown at the sudden lack of friction. Kiba nodded towards the door, and Kankuro took him by the hand to snake their way through the crowd.

Once outside, Kankuro pulled out his phone to order a ride back to his place. He hit sent and opened up his sibling group chat, sending them a house and stop sign emoji followed by “ASAP”. Temari sent him a “OMG”, acknowledging the code they had established for her and Shikamaru. Gaara sent a thumbs up emoji, which was slightly unsettling but Kankuro chose to ignore it. He would pay them back for making them vacate the apartment on such short notice, but he was fully intending on having loud and passionate sex with Kiba tonight. This was a warning for their sanity.

After sending the messages, Kankuro tucked his phone back into his pocket and returned his focus to Kiba, who was staring with a grin. Kiba reached his hands up to either side of Kankuro’s face and pulled him down into a kiss. Kankuro’s lips were soft and tender, letting Kiba set the pace of everything that night. The kiss lasted exceptionally long for a first kiss, and the two parted slowly, lips hovering close to each other still. Kiba’s smile was soft, small tears of happiness welling up in the corners of his eyes. He felt a warm sensation in his stomach. _This….this must be true happiness._ The sensation in his stomach continued to grow and flip and spin until Kiba’s head rocked downwards, vomiting all over Kankuro’s shoes.

Kankuro recoiled, but was quickly at Kiba’s side, a protective arm around his back. Kiba continued to vomit along the sidewalk, thankfully tucked away from the public entrance. Kankuro rubbed circles on Kiba’s back as he finished vomiting. Kiba looked back up at Kankuro, face slick with fluids. He gave a meek smile of apology. Kankuro returned a smile with a sigh.

“You have good aim; you managed to get some _in_ my shoes.” Kankuro laughed, slightly too drunk to be fully disgusted, “I’m going to run inside to get you a napkin and some water. Don’t go anywhere with any mysterious men, okay?”

Kiba hiccuped and chuckled, “Y-yooou are the oonly my-mysteriousss man I neeeed, Kank.”

Kankuro rolled his eyes with a playful smile before going back into the bar. In a few minutes he returned with a bottle of water for Kiba, a napkin to wipe his face, and cup of water to wash the vomit off of his own shoes. Suddenly the idea of ravishing Kiba on every single surface of his apartment had faded and instead Kankuro decided he’d take care of Kiba for the night and make him breakfast in the morning. It didn’t matter to him, what was important was that Kiba now knew he had feelings for him, which would hopefully give Kiba the push he needed to initiate the relationship fully.

As the car arrived to pick them up, Kiba was already half-asleep standing, so Kankuro picked him up bridal style and brought them to the car. He sat Kiba down on the seat and buckled him up but allowed Kiba’s head to rest against his shoulder. Once they got to his apartment, Kankuro carried the incapacitated Kiba up the stairs and into the now empty apartment. He placed Kiba down on his bed while he got changed for bed. He brought an extra makeup wipe and sat by the sleeping Kiba’s side, carefully wiping off his red makeup. Kankuro gave Kiba a soft kiss on the forehead before slipping into the covers beside him. He figured this wouldn’t be pushing it, and this would allow Kankuro to keep closer tabs on the passed out drunk in his bed. It didn’t take long for Kankuro to slowly drift asleep, his fingers loosely intertwined with one of Kiba’s hands.

He felt safe. And oddly….

He felt loved.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the highest highs come the lowest lows, and Kiba's previous emotional trauma takes center stage in his developing relationship with Kankuro.

To say Kiba’s brain felt like pulsating mashed potatoes didn’t quite fully grasp the steady throbbing headache he woke up with. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the early afternoon’s light. His blurred vision became focused on an odd image on the wall, that after a few blinks was rendered to be a poster with a giant, menacing looking ant on it. A poster for the movie _Them!_....Kiba scanned the room; this wasn’t his room, it was _Kankuro’s._ He covered his face in embarrassment. _I woke up in Kankuro’s bed and I can’t remember a damn thing about last night!_

Kiba lifted the covers to find himself still in his jeans from the earlier night. That both reassured and disappointed him; he would have preferred to have a vivid memory of having sex with Kankuro but for all his charm last night to have gone to waste….Kiba propped himself up on his elbow and felt his stomach lurch. He then become aware that the space on the bed besides him was empty, no sign of Kankuro.

A waft of bacon and eggs made its way into the bedroom as Kiba stood up. He noticed a folded pile of clothes with a note with his name on it laying on Kankuro’s desk. Kiba opened the note:

_Kiba, good morning. You got sick at the bar last night so I took you home. I’m making breakfast for you now. Here’s a pair of spare clothes and a new toothbrush. Go ahead and shower before breakfast._

Kankuro signed his name with a heart, which made Kiba grin. For as cold as Kankuro could come off, Kiba adored his soft interior and caring nature. Picking up the stack of items, Kiba entered Kankuro’s bathroom and flicked on the lights. He stopped in front of the mirror, surprised to see his makeup was taken off already. He first brushed his teeth, acutely aware of the vomit breath he was harboring. Kiba then turned on the shower and stepped into the scalding hot water, which was his best hangover cure. As the water massaged his aching body, Kiba conjured up an image of Kankuro stepping out of the shower, dark hair clung to him, towel tied around his waist, water droplets cascading down every crevice of his toned abdomen…

Kiba chuckled to himself, feeling blood rushing to both his face and erection. He would have to remind himself to try to seduce Kankuro into taking a shower with him next time. Once the water started to cool, Kiba stepped out and dried himself off. The clothes Kankuro laid out included a pair of boxers, grey sweatpants and a white Muppets t-shirt. The shirt and pants were a size too big for Kiba, so he rolled the elastic band of the sweatpants at the waist. He let his hair air dry, which meant it would sit flat on his head, missing his usual spikes.

Tucking his phone in his pocket (which Kankuro had charged last night for him), Kiba stepped out of the bedroom and approached the kitchen. Kankuro stood with his back turned, cooking something on the stovetop. Kiba cleared his throat softly, “Good morning.” 

Kankuro spun around in surprise which quickly turned into a cheerful grin. Kiba noticed he was wearing a “Kiss the Chef” apron which earned him a snort. Kankuro set down the spatula and held a hand out for Kiba to take. He hesitated for a moment before taking Kankuro’s hand. He pulled the shorter man in close, wrapping his arms around his waist. Kiba responded by placing his hands on either side of Kankuro’s face and bringing him down for a kiss. The touch of Kankuro’s lips against his own brought back some memories of last night. They parted lips and Kiba pulled back.

“I threw up on you last night, didn’t I?”

Kankuro let out a breathless chuckle and nodded. Flustered with embarrassment, Kiba groaned and buried his face in Kankuro’s shoulder.

Kankuro couldn’t help but smile, relishing the sight of a flustered Kiba. He pressed a kiss onto the top of Kiba’s head. “Please tell me you aren’t going to do that every time you kiss me.”

Kiba squeezed Kankuro a little tighter, “If you keep teasing me, I just might.”

Noticing the pancakes needed to be flipped, Kankuro pulled away and resume cooking. Kiba took a seat at one of the island seats and watched as Kankuro finished up breakfast. In front of Kiba he placed a plate with pancakes, eggs, bacon and a small bowl of orange slices. A rumble from his stomach made him realize just how hungry he was as he began to devour the food. With a mouthful of pancake, Kiba muffled a thank you to Kankuro. He swallowed before speaking again, “Since when were you a fucking gourmet chef? All this talent and you can’t make your sister a lunch, huh?”

Kankuro rolled his eyes at Kiba’s teasing but still smiled back at him. After breakfast was finished, Kankuro took their plates and stuck them in the dishwasher.

“So,” Kankuro started, taking off his apron and placing it in a kitchen drawer, “do you want me to drop you off at Hinata’s so you can get your car?”

Kiba was reluctant at first, not wanting to be parted from Kankuro so soon, but finally nodded. “Yeah, that’d be great. Oh hey, when should I stop by to bring back your clothes?”

Kankuro shot him a smirk, “Oh, you mean like my leather jacket? Keep it, it looks cute on you. Besides,” Kankuro stood in front of Kiba, an arm pressing him flush against his body. Kankuro’s tone was now dripping with sex appeal as he leaned in close, lips hovering over Kiba’s neck, “my room has a strict ‘no shirt, no pants, full service’ policy.” He pressed his lips against his neck, leaving a sloppy kiss. Kiba snorted and laughed, the vibrations in his throat tickling Kankuro’s lips.

“That’s so fucking cheesy, I might vomit on you on purpose.” Kiba playfully pushed him away and followed him out the door of the apartment.

The drive from Kankuro’s apartment to Hinata’s was short yet full of conversation. They seemed to have fallen into an unspoken competition of who could out-tease the other, but Kiba was failing miserably. Once at the apartment complex, Kankuro pulled up next to Kiba’s van. He switched the car to park before placing an arm around Kiba’s headrest.

“Even if things didn’t go according to plan last night, I still had a great fucking time with you. We are definitely going out to a club like that again.” Kankuro grinned.

Kiba placed a hand on Kankuro’s thigh before reaching over the console to kiss him. _Fuck, I’ll never get used to this._ The kiss lingered, neither one of them wanting to pull back. Kiba finally pulled back once his throbbing headache started to act up again. He slowly slipped out of the car and unlocked his van. Before stepping into the driver’s seat, he turned to give Kankuro a wave.

Once in his seat, Kiba shuffled through Spotify to find the perfect song to capture his mood at the moment. _Would “Walking on Sunshine” be too cliché…?_

Kiba looked up in his rear-view mirror to see Kankuro reverse out of the parking lot and drive off. Focusing his attention back to his phone, Kiba decided to look through his messages before driving home. He responded to a view text messages from group chats and Hinata herself. Opening his social media folder, Kiba noticed a notification from twitter. He clicked on the app and saw that the notification was a direct message from a user named _Jashinluvr_69_.

_Gross._

Kiba opened the message:

> _Jashinluvr_69, 1:05am:_ hello, Kiba. My name is Hidan, one of Kankuro’s coworkers at Hot Topic. I had a question for you.

Kiba thought the message was odd, but from what he could see of Hidan’s profile picture, he looked vaguely familiar so he replied.

> _Letthedogsout,11:45am:_ hello! What do you need?

To his surprise, Hidan sent a quick response.

> _Jashinluvr_69, 11:46am:_ was Kankuro as bad of a fuck as when I had him?

Kiba took a pause to register what he had read. Before he could respond, Hidan sent a picture message. Kiba felt his stomach drop as he looked at the image. It was Kankuro, lying on his stomach, fast asleep. He had hickeys and bite marks all over his back. At the bottom of the photo was Kankuro’s exposed ass and Hidan’s thighs straddling either side of him.  The corner’s of Kiba’s eyes began to well up.

> _Jashinluvr_69, 11:50am:_ Two weeks ago he came crawling into my bed, complaining that you ‘wouldn’t just fuck him and get out of his life’…just thought you’d like to see Kankuro for the deadbeat he is.

_No_

_No_

_No_

Kiba’s phone dropped out of his hands and felt to the floor of the van. His hands were trembling as he brought them up to his face. A combination of tears and snot ran down his face as he heaved. He felt used, cheap, unwanted. Two weeks ago was just after their _‘date’_ at Dippin’ Dots… _was it all a front?_

Kiba’s mind raced with doubts. He thought back to Kankuro’s comments about the night club, how things didn’t go “as planned”, and even the stupid joke he made about his room policy…all of it dug into his heart like a knife. It was clear: Kankuro didn’t love him. He didn’t care. Hidan was right; he wanted to fuck Kiba and leave him on the curb. Kiba slammed his hand down hard on the dashboard repeatedly until his palm ached in pain. He felt ridiculous, embarrassed and ashamed.

He thought back to his previous relationship, of how he gave Tamaki his whole heart just to be cheated on. This somehow cut deeper, knowing that he was being strung along by someone he loved. _Fuck._ Kiba sobbed a little harder. He had to admit it: he loved Kankuro, which made his betrayal all the more painful.

Collecting himself for a moment, Kiba picked his phone up and opened up his text conversation with Kankuro. He needed to know the truth from Kankuro himself.

> Kiba, 11:59am: who is hidan.

Kiba sniffled back tears as he waited for a response.

> Kankuro, 12:01pm: a coworker, why?
> 
> Kiba, 12:02pm: he messaged me. anything you want to tell me?

There was a longer pause before Kiba got a reply.

> Kankuro, 12:06pm: why the hell did he message you? Ignore him, he’s a certified asshole.
> 
> Kiba, 12:06pm: he told me about your ‘relationship’ with him. If you are just looking for a cheap fucking hookup with me, you can get the fuck out of my life

Sadness had now mixed with anger and jealousy inside of Kiba.

> Kankuro, 12:07pm: Kiba, wtf are you talking about? Talk to me.

Without thinking, Kiba sent Kankuro the image Hidan had sent him.

> Kiba, 12:07pm: don’t talk to me anymore, kankuro. I don’t need anymore liars and cheats in my life.

Kiba tossed his phone in the passenger seat and pressed his forehead against the steering wheel. His headache was approaching migraine territory and he just wanted to run. To lock himself up in him room and cut himself off from the outside world. He glanced down at Kankuro’s clothes in disgust, wanting to rip them off of his body. Neither Kankuro himself nor his belongings deserved to touch Kiba anymore.

 Kiba decided not to go home just yet and instead drove to the Inuzuka Dog training kennel. His sister Hana was at the counter and gave him a suspicious look. “I thought you were off today? Woah-Kiba, have you been crying?”

Kiba shot a glance at his reflection in the metal countertop. His eyes were red and puffy, and his nose was still running slightly. He wiped the snot with his forearm.

“Is Akamaru in the back?” Kiba asked, not looking Hana in the eye.

“Yeah, of course. Taking him out for some training?” Hana offered, trying her best to soothe her distressed younger brother.

Kiba reached for his pocket, pulled out his wallet and handed her a credit card. Hana stared at the plastic for a few seconds. Kiba finally looked up at her, “I’ve been training Akamaru for two months now and I’ve determined he’s better suited for emotional support than mobility assistance. I want to adopt him as my emotional support animal.”

Hana shook her head slightly, “Kiba, you know better than anyone that you have to have a letter certifying that you-“.

Kiba quickly cut her off, extending his credit card closer to her. “I know, I know. Fine, I want to adopt Akamaru as just a regular dog. I’ll pay the normal fee.”

Slowly, Hana took the card from Kiba. “You know it’s an $1,000 adoption fee…and mom might murder you for adopting one of the trainees for yourself.”

The storefront door opened and in walked a grey-haired man with a scarf covering his face despite the warm weather outside. He didn’t appear to be a customer as he headed towards the employee only door. Hana gave him a wave, “Hello, Kakashi! Thanks for coming in today.” Kiba surmised that this was the frequent volunteer his mother had mentioned.

Kiba reverted his focus back to his sister, “Just put it on my card, okay? I just want to go home already.” Hana nodded, eyes full of compassion for her upset brother. She ran the card before sliding in across the counter. She disappeared into the back and came back a few minutes later with the Great Pyrenees in tow. Moving out from behind the counter, Hana handed Akamaru’s lease to Kiba.

“He’s all yours.” Hana said with a smile as Kiba bent down to Akamaru’s level. Kiba felt tears starting to well up in his eyes, and Akamaru licked his cheeks as the tears fell. Akamaru’s loyalty was something Kiba would treasure, especially in times like this.      


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kiba jumped to conclusions and ended their relationship, Kankuro is desperate to prove to Kiba just how much he cares for him, and as Kankuro slowly comes to realize, just how much he loves him.

Minutes stretched into hours, hours stretched into days. Kankuro’s phone had been silent. No messages back from Kiba. Nothing from Ino, Sakura or Hinata.

Nothing.

Kankuro had never felt so alone, so cut off from the world he knew. It was as if Kiba and his friends were all strangers to him now.

Kankuro leaned back against the loading dock walls as he took his break. The hit of his juul calmed his mind briefly, but he still found himself staring blankly at his phone. He opened up his messages with Kiba with a frown. Twenty texts over the last seven days, all opened yet unanswered by Kiba. With a thumb hovering over the keypad, Kankuro sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He wouldn’t keep texting Kiba if it was pointless. He figured every message was either breaking Kiba’s heart or pissing him off, neither of which were emotions Kankuro wanted him to go through.

With a few minutes still left in his break, Kankuro decided to head back upstairs and stop by Bath & Body Works. It was 2:30pm, a typically slow time for the mall since it was after the lunchtime rush but before the local schools let out. He made his way through the brightly lit candle section towards the counter where he spotted Hinata restocking the hand sanitizer section. Once she sensed his presence approaching her, Hinata looked up with a smile that quickly diminished when he saw it was Kankuro. “Oh….hi, Kankuro.”

“Hinata, please, I need to talk to you.” Kankuro asked quietly, a twinge of pain hitting his heart when he noticed her smile falter.

Hinata looked around for an excuse to avoid the conversation but found none. The store was completely empty of customers. She sighed before nodding, “Okay. Go on.”

Kankuro found it difficult to keep eye contact with Hinata, so he stared at the hand sanitizers. “Hinata, I just want to know what’s going on. I’ve tried texting him, to tell him that the photo was from months ago but he hasn’t respond. None of you have responded. I’m in the dark here….and if Kiba is feeling half of the emotions I am…look,” Kankuro felt his eyes start to water, “I guess I fucked things up. But you have to believe me that this is all a big misunderstanding. I would never do something to hurt Kiba, I-“ Kankuro cut himself off with a breathless chuckle.

Hinata’s eyebrow raised, “What?”

Slowly, Kankuro brought his eyes back to Hinata’s. A few tears had begun to roll down his cheek. He had been suffering in silence for the last week, drowning his thoughts in drugs and alcohol but he hadn’t just let himself cry. He felt like a wound-up rope finally being let go. “I think I love him, Hinata. I need to make this right. Please…help me.”

She knew his pain was genuine; his soul’s suffering showed on his brown eyes. Hinata reached out her arms and brought Kankuro in for a hug. Kankuro, shocked by her forgiveness, took a moment to return her hug. Hinata pulled back, her own eyes starting to water. “Kiba is hurt but I think you can still save this relationship. You need to prove to him that you care. I will try to talk to him but you need to show him with actions.”

Kankuro nodded and gave a smile through his tears. He sniffled a few times to collect himself, “Thank you, Hinata. Thank you for being a true friend.” Kankuro shot a glance down at his watch and saw that his break was almost over. He gave her a wave and mouthed “Thank you!” once more before returning to work.

The rest of his shift dragged on almost painfully until Konan told him he was good to leave around 6pm. With a sudden burst of energy, Kankuro practically bounced to the staff room to get a piece of computer paper and a pen. He sat at the round table while his coworker Zetsu watered the staff room plants in the corner. His friend step to getting Kiba back would be a handwritten letter:

> Kiba,
> 
> I hope this letter finds you well. I know the last few days haven probably been full of pain and anger because of me, and I know one letter won’t undo all of that. I’m not writing this letter to try to convince you that you are wrong. I am writing this because I want to show you my true intentions. I was lonely and lost before I met you. Every day was a cycle of going to work, coming home and smoking or drinking myself to sleep. I wasn’t really living…becoming your friend made me feel alive for the first time in months. You are genuine, kind-hearted, a little bit hard-headed but caring nonetheless. You brought me into your friend group and you gave me a purpose. Hinata, Ino and Sakura told me about your past relationship and so I waited until you were comfortable. Every moment we talked, our Dippin’ Dots date, the time we got milkshakes, when we watched the Muppets movie….every moment I wanted to tell you that I liked you. But I didn’t want to rush things or lose your friendship. Just being in your life, either as a friend or something more, was all I truly wanted. I should have told you more about my life before I met you, but I was afraid that my depressed past would scare you off. I didn’t want you to think I was roaming from guy to guy because all I cared about was sex…though I know that’s how you see me now. Just know I am hurting inside because of all of this. I feel like I lost my best friend. I can understand if you don’t trust me or never want to see me again but please know that I will never stop caring about you and wishing you true happiness, even if I can’t be the one to share that with you.
> 
> Just know that I care, Kiba. A lot.
> 
> Love,
> 
> A gigantic fucking idiot

 Kankuro sighed. He wasn’t a poet and the letter had turned into more of a rant but hopefully the overall message was there. He folded the letter up a few times, and stuck it into his pocket. Pulling out a pair of headphones from his pocket, Kankuro plugged them up and hit shuffle on his music. The first song that came up was “I Know It’s Over” by The Smiths. _How fucking apt._

He met Temari and Shikamaru in the parking lot by Shikamaru’s car. Filing into the back, Kankuro tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder, “You mind making a quick stop for me?”

“KIba’s place?” The dark-haired man asked, staring at Kankuro through the rear-view mirror. Kankuro nodded and focused his attention to the window for the ride. Kankuro gave him directions of when to turn as needed and shortly they arrived at Kiba’s apartment complex. Kankuro slid out of the back seat and made his way up to Kiba’s place.

Standing in front of Kiba’s apartment, Kankuro timidly reached out a hand to knock on the door. He could hear a faint shuffling of feet inside the apartment that stopped right by the door. Kankuro was sure Kiba was staring through the peep hole, so he gave a slight wave.

“Go away.” Kiba spoke flatly. Kankuro had figured that he wouldn’t open his door, so he held up the letter.

“I just wanted to drop this off, okay?” Kankuro bent down and slid the note under the small gap beneath the door. Standing back up, Kankuro flashed a smile in hopes Kiba was still watching, “Take care, Kiba.” He slowly turned to walk back down the stairs and rejoin his sister and her boyfriend.

* * *

Over the next several days, Kankuro returned to Kiba’s apartment. The second day he came with a red rose and a note:

> Kiba,
> 
> This might be cheesy, but I saw this flower and it made me think of your makeup.
> 
> Just trying to make things right,
> 
> _Your_ gigantic fucking idiot.

He knocked again, waved at Kiba when he asked him what he was doing there, and set the rose and note in front of the door before leaving. On the third day, Kankuro feared that he might be harassing Kiba. To his surprise, when he knocked, Kiba responded with “Hello, Kankuro.”

Kankuro’s smile widened as he waved a bag of Kiba’s favorite candy in front of the peep hole like a court jester. Kankuro could have sworn he heard a slight chuckle from Kiba, and he waited for him to open the door. After a long pause, Kankuro placed the candy in front of the door. “Don’t forget to brush up after you eat the candy.”

“Thanks, mom.” Kiba said jokingly from behind the door.

 _He’s making jokes with me again!_ Kankuro felt his heart kickstart for the first time in a week. His grin reached from ear to ear as he waved goodbye to Kiba and practically skipped down the hallway.

* * *

Day four’s gift consisted of a mug Kankuro found at a gas station that said “DOG MOM” on it and a coupon to Dippin’ Dots. Kankuro knocked on the door and was greeted with a slightly more friendly sounding Kiba.

“If your goal was to fatten me up with candy yesterday, it worked. I’ve never eaten so much chocolate in my life.” Kiba groaned.

Kankuro smiled, “Well then you’ll love what I have for you today. Make a cup of tea to calm your stomach with this,” Kankuro brought the mug up to view of the peephole.

Kiba snorted, “Jesus Christ, that’s funny. Thank yo-“

Kankuro cut him off, “And, I owe Hinata for something so treat _her_ to Dippin’ Dots this time… which I learned has non-dairy options, so your lactose intolerant story was a cute coverup.” He held the coupon up for Kiba to see before placing it back into the mug and setting them both down in front of the door.

“Kankuro…?” Kiba said in a timid voice.

Kankuro’s eyes grew wide in attention, “Yes?”

“I mis-…..never mind. See you tomorrow.” Kiba’s voice was soft, barely audible through the thick wood. _I miss you._ Why couldn’t he just say it? Maybe Kiba didn’t want to admit it, to ignore the pain he had been through over the last week and a half just because Kankuro was bringing him apology gifts and notes…was that enough?

* * *

On the fifth day, Kankuro came by later than normal around 9pm. Kiba had canceled plans with Shino so he would be around when Kankuro knocked. It was stupid, but Kiba still felt drawn to Kankuro’s charms. When the knock sounded on his door, Kiba jumped off of the couch, waking up a sleeping Akamaru in the process.

As he stood at the peephole, Kiba smiled. “You’re late.”

Kankuro raised an eyebrow with a smirk, “Oh, I didn’t know I had to be at your door at a set time. Well, I’m sorry I was late but I was working on something for you.” His smirk faded into a nervous smile.

“What were you working on?” Kiba asked inquisitively.

Kankuro, who’s hands were hidden behind his back, held up a wooden figure. It was about the size of a pineapple, but the fish-eyed lens of the peephole made it difficult to see clearly. Intrigued, Kiba opened his door slightly, just enough to hold out a hand.

“May I see it?” Kiba asked, his voice finally clear to Kankuro for the first time in nearly two weeks. Kankuro placed the figure in the outstretched palm, fighting back the urge to touch Kiba’s hand in the process. Once Kiba had the figure and pulled back his arm, he closed the door.

Now with the figure in front of him, Kiba’s jaw dropped as he observed the details of the figure. It was an extremely accurate wooden sculpture of Akamaru. The texture of the wood cutting mimicked fur as Kiba ran his finger along the sculpture. Kankuro even made it so Akamaru’s tongue was hanging out and he looked as if he was smiling. It was an incredible piece of craftmanship and Kiba felt his heart flood with emotions.

After what seemed like an eternity for Kankuro, he finally heard Kiba’s voice on the other side of the door. “Kankuro…this is incredible. I mean that.”

Kankuro’s face lit up as he immediately calmed, “I’m glad you like it. I’ve been working on it non-stop since last night. I don’t think I’ve been this exhausted in a long time. But if you liked it, it was all worth it.”

Kiba placed a hand on the door knob, debating on whether or not to just fling the door open and take Kankuro back with open arms. The image of Kankuro underneath Hidan flashed in his mind, and Kiba let his hand slip from the handle and hang lifelessly at his side. He focused his eyes back on the Akamaru sculpture. With a frown, Kiba let his back hit the door as he slid to sit on the ground.

“Goodnight, Kankuro.” Kiba spoke in a low, muffled voice. Kankuro had hoped that things would change, that today’s gift would have been enough, but it wasn’t. This made Kankuro realize just how deeply Kiba was hurt by all of this. With sadness overcoming his happiness, Kankuro turned to walk away and head back home.

* * *

The following day at work was Kankuro’s nightmare. Kakuzu had called out sick, leaving Kankuro to be stuck on restock duty with none other than Hidan. Deidara watched from the counter as the pair worked in slight agitation for the entirety of their shift. After six hours of silence, Kankuro released his jaw once his shift was over, not realizing it had been clenched for so long. Hidan snickered at the sight of Kankuro flexing his jaw.

“Didn’t realize I had made an enemy.” Hidan smirked, finishing up the last stack of T-shirts to be restocked.

Kankuro tried to ignore him, but the smirk plastered over his face made Kankuro’s blood boil with rage.

“You are a fucking disgusting human being! What the fuck do you get from ruining my relationship?!” Kankuro balled his hands into fists, rage seeping into every pore of his body. He wanted to punch Hidan so hard his teeth fell out, to break his fucking nose and spray blood over the merchandise…but Kankuro released his fist. _And what the fuck do I get from beating the shit out of him? Don’t stoop to his level._

Hidan simply laughed and returned his focus to his work, “If you are looking for a pity fuck, you know who to ask.”

Kankuro turned away from Hidan and marched out of the store, not wanting to give in to his temptation to fight his coworker right then and there. Deidara, who had been eavesdropping on the entire exchange, watched as Kankuro left the store.

 _Oh fuck_. Deidara thought, _I can’t believe I fucked things up that badly...and now I have to fix HIS mistakes!_ Deidara groaned and shot Hidan a dirty look before pulling out his phone from his back pocket and opening up twitter. With a few clicks, he opened up a direct message with Kiba.  


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiba learns the truth about the situation and decides on a symbolic way to prove to Kankuro he trusts him again.

After a night of tossing and turning, Kiba thought he would finally be able to calm his racing mind. He spent the majority of the day pacing around his apartment or playing with Akamaru to distract himself from the inevitable thoughts of Kankuro. That evening, Kiba decided he needed to get all of this off his chest. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Hianta’s number.

“Hinata?” Kiba’s voice was shaky as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

“Is everything okay?” Hinata’s concern and worry was clear in her voice. Kiba sat down on the edge of his bed and let his upper body fall backwards.

He sighed, feeling his body weight press down against the bed. “He’s been stopping by this week, bringing me letters and gifts….”

“I know.”

Kiba raised a suspicious eyebrow, “How…?”

Hinata smiled, knowing Kiba couldn’t see it. “Kankuro visited me at work earlier this week. He was crying, asking what he could do to right his wrongs…He said he loved you, Kiba”

“Really-!?” Kiba shot up on his bed, heart racing slightly.

“Be honest with me, how do you feel about him?”

Kiba thought in silence.  It was as if every moment of their friendship came flashing through his mind; all the times Kankuro made him laugh or smile, the times he treated Akamaru like he was his pet too, how well Kankuro assimilated himself into Kiba’s friend group…He shot a glance at his night stand where he had placed the letters, the “dog mom” mug that he was using as a makeshift vase for the less than fresh rose, and the wooden Akamaru figurine.

Kiba sighed, finally returning his attention back to his phone. Any tear that was on the verge of falling slowly descended his cheeks. “I think I love him too. B-but I don’t know how to feel. I can’t just write off the pain that fucking photo put me through so easily….can I? Hinata, I don’t know what to do.”

“I understand,” Hinata sighed, a frown forming at the reminder of Kiba’s emotional suffering, “only you can decide what’s right for you. From what I can tell, I feel like Kankuro now is not the same Kankuro in that photo. But Kiba, I can’t tell you how to feel. Not that you would listen to me anyways…”

Kiba snorted, a smile creeping onto his face. “You know me well, Hinata. Thank you.” The pair exchanged their goodbyes and ended the call. Sensing his mixed emotions, Akamaru jumped onto the bed and rested his head in Kiba’s lap. Kiba sat in silence, petting Akamaru’s thick white fur when his phone dinged with a notification from Twitter.

 _I thought I deleted that stupid app…_ Kiba reached for his phone and saw he had a direct message from _Art_Xplosion._

> _Art_Xplosion_ , 6:55pm: kiba, hey what’s up, my man.
> 
> _Art_Xplosion_ , 6:55pm: this is deidara, one of kankuro’s co-workers (not THAT one). I have a confession to make

Kiba felt his heart sink slightly. He didn’t want to reply but he knew his mind wouldn’t let him ignore the message.

> _Letthedogsout_ , 6:57pm: what.

There was an uncomfortably long paused before Kiba got a reply.

> _Art_Xplosion,_ 7:04pm: That photo hidan sent you is months old. Almost 9 months old at this point? It’s true; hidan and kank hooked up once back then and that was the end of that. But that ate hidan alive to not be wanted by kank again so he wanted to fuck up your relationship with kank. Don’t ask me why; the guy’s a sadist.

Kiba felt his fingers tremble slightly as he typed a message in reply.

> _Letthedogsout,_ 7:05pm: why should I believe you?
> 
> _Art_Xplosion,_ 7:07pm: because I’m not an evil creep like hidan…I wouldn’t lie to you. Trust me, kank won’t shut the fuck up about you at work. Before your little break time hangouts, he would go into the back and gussy up for you. He’s annoying as shit, but I know he cares.

Kiba found himself smiling at the thought of Kankuro frantically reapplying his makeup in the staff backroom, just to hang out with him for a few minutes. The smile did not fade as he typed a reply.

> _Letthedogsout,_ 7:08pm: hey deidara?
> 
> _Letthedogsout,_ 7:08pm: I trust him.
> 
> _Letthedogsout,_ 7:09pm: Thank you.

Akamaru detected the shift in Kiba’s attitude and barked in mutual happiness, tail wagging frantically. Once Akamaru was off of his lap, Kiba scurried around the room. He made his way into his bathroom and reached for his hair gel. He freshened up the spikes of his hair that had started to fall flat from resting his head against the sheets. He fixed his makeup and spritzed the Bath & Body Works cologne Hinata and Shino had gifted him.

Once back in the main room, Kiba searched through the back of his closet and found Kankuro’s old leather jacket. He slipped it on and checked his appearance in the mirror. He looked good….he _felt good_. With a heart pounding in his ears, Kiba continued getting himself together to leave. He fed Akamaru and refilled his water bowl. Giving the dog a quick kiss on the top of his head, Kiba headed out the door.

Kiba’s body had gone into autopilot as his mind raced frantically. He was certain of one thing: he was going to Kankuro’s to apologize….to tell him exactly how he feels….

He was going to prove to Kankuro that he trusts him again.

* * *

Kiba made his way to Kankuro’s apartment in record time, going a few miles over the speedlimit in hopes that the sooner he got there, the sooner his heart would calm. The opposite happened and by the time he pulled into the guest parking at the apartment, Kiba was certain his heart was going to tear out of his chest. His feet carried him up the stairs and in front of Kankuro’s door. Kiba paused, feeling his hands trembling with nerves. He swallowed hard on a dry throat and brought his fist up to the door to knock. The knock came off more urgent than he had hoped and Kiba found himself clenching his eyes shut as the door opened.

“ _KIBA?”_ A shocked whispered came from across the apartment threshold. Kiba recognized it immediately as belonging to Temari, so he slowly opened his eyes again. She stood with her jaw dropped and eyes widened.

“H-hello, Temari. Is _he_ home?” Kiba’s voice mimicked Temari’s, barely louder than a whisper.

She nodded and stepped back to let him in, “He’s in his room working on something. Probably for you…” Once Kiba was inside, Temari closed the door quietly behind him. She watched with eager as he nodded to her and made his way towards Kankuro’s room. There was a soft hum of music coming from the bedroom. Mustering up all the courage he could, Kiba knocked loudly on Kankuro’s door.

There was a groan from the other side of the door, “Temari, I told you I was busy!” Kankuro shouted.

Kiba looked nervously down the hall towards Temari, who flashed him an apologetic smile. Kiba cleared his throat before speaking, “Uh this isn’t Temari.”

In a split second, the music stopped and Kankuro’s door flung open. Kankuro stood towering over him with complete shock on his face. “K-Kiba? What are you-?”

“Can I come in?” Kiba asked, pointing into the room. He tried his best to keep his face flat and emotionless to mask the anxiety he felt inside him.

Kankuro took a step back, unable to say anything intelligent in a reply. Kiba entered the room and sat down on the edge of Kankuro’s bed, staring at his hands. Kankuro watched in silence until slowly turning to close his door.

There was a long pause, and the air in the room felt heavy in their lungs. Kankuro remained standing by the door, unsure of how close Kiba wanted him, or if he even wanted him to be anywhere near him at all.

Finally, Kiba broke the silence, “I spoke to Deidara. He told me the truth and I…” His focus remained on his hands as he spoke.

Kankuro felt a wave of both relief and nausea flood over him. Kiba’s silence made him nervous, but he waited for him to speak again.

After a pause, Kiba’s head shot up and he stared directly at Kankuro. His eyes were seemingly on fire with emotion and yet his voice was strong and determined. “I want you to give me an industrial piercing.”

Kankuro blinked. Part of him wanted to laugh at the outburst, but thankfully his two brain cells convinced him that this was a serious moment. “Kiba, what?”

Kiba stood up from the bed and closed the distance between them. He grabbed both of Kankuro’s hands and lightly stroked the backs of them with his thumb.

His eyes remained fixated on Kankuro’s, “I want you to give me an industrial piercing. Our friendship started over a piercing and I want another one to signify our new relationship.”

Kankuro felt his heart skip a beat, “Our new relationship…?” Unlike Kiba’s voice, his was shaky and altered by the growing lump in his throat.

“I should have listened to you. I let my past fuck up my future and I want it to stop. I want to start over with you.” Kiba squeezed Kankuro’s hands slightly to signify the sincerity of his words.

Kankuro let his right hand slip from Kiba’s grasp and he cupped Kiba’s face. Both of them smiled for what felt like the first time in weeks. “Kiba, I want to be in your life, to be by your side but you don’t need to get a piercing to signify that. Besides, it will hurt a lot..” Kankuro moved his hand from Kiba’s cheek to his left ear and stroked a thumb over where the piercing would go.

Kiba nodded his head slightly, “I know, but I want this. I want to show you that I trust you.”

Kankuro understood the passion and pain in Kiba’s eyes so he nodded his head and placed a kiss on Kiba’s forehead before pulling away to find his piercing kit. Pain had bought Kankuro the piercing kit when he started working there, back when he only had his ears pierced. Since then, Kankuro had managed to pierce several of his friends and his own septum, nipple and tongue piercings with his own kit. He used an actual needle instead of the shitty piercing gun they gave him at work.

With the kit spread out on his bed, Kankuro got to work disinfecting his equipment and Kiba’s ear. He decided for Kiba that it would go on his left ear since that would be easier for Kankuro due to him being right handed. He had an industrial bar in his kit, saved for himself one day. Kiba sat on the edge of the bed while Kankuro stood to his left, marking the two incision points for the piercing. He took a step back to look at Kiba directly.

“This is probably going to hurt and I’ll need all my focus directed on the piercing, okay?” Kankuro asked. Kiba nodded and balled his fists at his side since he wouldn’t be able to hold onto Kankuro.

Kankuro prepared his needle for the first piercing and Kiba stared with eyes wide, “Hey, Kankuro? If you fuck this up, I’m suing.”

Kankuro grinned, holding back a laugh as he brought the needle up to Kiba’s ear. He told him to focus on his breathing and with a quick count down, Kankuro fed the needle through the anti-helix. Kiba’s breath hitched slightly at the contact but he made no signal to stop so Kankuro prepared the next incision at the helix. In the same manner, Kankuro counted down and quickly pulled the needle through the cartilage. He secured the industrial bar into the newly made incisions and placed a sterile piece of tissue damp with disinfectant over the fresh piercings.  During the whole process, Kiba remained still until Kankuro pulled his gloves off and tossed them in the trash can.

“So, how are you feeling? Light-headed?” Kankuro asked, holding one of Kiba’s hands in his own. 

Kiba shook his head, “It hurts, but it’s worth it. How does it look?”

Kankuro smiled, taking a long look at Kiba. After getting lost in his new-found freedom to stare at him, he leaned in to whisper in his ear. “You look incredible, Kiba.”

Kiba responded by placing a hand against Kankuro’s face and guiding his lips to his own. Their kiss was soft and short, with Kankuro pulling back first.

He kept his face a few inches from Kiba but his eyes remained focused on Kiba’s eyes. Kankuro placed a hand on the bed on either side of Kiba to keep his balance, “I want you to know that I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. I want you to set the pace…you decide how fast or slow we take things.”

Kiba nodded, a hint of blush sweeping across his face. For as aggressive and tough as Kankuro looked, Kiba found such great comfort in the soft and warm depths of his heart. Wrapping his arms around Kankuro’s neck, Kiba gave him a smirk, “It’d be a lot easier for me to set the pace if you weren’t towering over me.”

Kankuro laughed breathlessly and wrapped Kiba’s legs around his waist, lifting Kiba off the bed as he straighten up. Kankuro placed two supportive hands on the underside of Kiba’s thighs and returned the smirk, “I’m sorry, I forgot how tiny you are.”

With a groan, Kiba rolled his eyes, “God, you are so annoying.”

Kankuro’s eyes drifted down from Kiba’s eyes to his lips, “Make me shut up then.”

Kiba was happy to oblige as he tilted his head down for another kiss. Kankuro took a step backwards so that he was now sitting on the edge of the bed with Kiba straddling him.

Their kiss dragged on, pausing intermittedly as the two caught their breaths and quickly found each other’s mouths again. Kankuro let his hands wonder along Kiba’s back, pressing him impossibly close to his own body.

Kiba knew just how far he wanted to take this, not wanting to ruin an emotionally crucial moment in their budding relationship by jumping right into the source of their problems. Still, one mystery about Kankuro remained fixated in his mind. When the tip of Kankuro’s tongue swept across Kiba’s lips, asking for permission to go a step farther, Kiba graciously opened his mouth for Kankuro with more eagerness than he liked to admit. As Kankuro’s tongue explored Kiba’s mouth, Kiba found that his tongue piercing was everything Kiba had fantasized about and more. The sensation of the metal ball running along his tongue caused Kiba to let out a small moan, mostly stifled by the sound of wetness. He had hoped Kankuro hadn’t heard his slight whimper, but judging from the growing hardness that Kiba was straddling, he wasn’t so fortunate. 

 Kankuro pulled his lips away from Kiba’s and continued downwards to Kiba’s neck, placing soft kisses as he went. He paused at Kiba’s neck, kissing the same spot repeatedly before sucking on the skin. Kiba hissed slightly at the sensation, tightening his grip on Kankuro’s neck. Kankuro gave a muffled “Sorry” against his skin before running his tongue along the sore spot.

Kankuro shifted his attention back to Kiba’s lips, waiting again for Kiba’s permission to enter his mouth with his tongue.

 A loud banging on the door startled the pair, causing them to pull apart with a wet _pop._

“Uh is everything alright in there?” Temari’s voice rang out from the other side of the door. Kankuro groaned and set Kiba down gently on the side of the bed as he got up to open the door. He swung the door open, annoyed at being interrupted by his sister. “Yes, Temari, everything _was_ going great.”

Temari looked past her brother to see Kiba sitting awkwardly on the bed, his cheeks burning bright red. She flashed Kankuro a smirk, enjoying the thought of cock blocking her baby brother. She brought her hands up in defense, “Hey, I was just making sure he didn’t come here to murder you. I’m just gl-holy shit, did you pierce him?”

Kiba brought a hand up to his bright red ear to lightly touch the metal bar. He had been so focused on Kankuro that he hardly noticed how much it stung.

Kankuro sighed, “It was his request; I’m just mad I didn’t suggest it myself. Now, do you have anything else to bug me about or can I return to spending time with my boyfriend?”

Both Kankuro and Kiba smiled on their own. _Boyfriend._

Temari waved goodbye to both of them and scurried down the hall towards Gaara’s room, wholly intending on gossiping with Gaara about their brother’s new relationship. Kankuro rolled his eyes and shut the door, pressing his back against the shut door.

“Sorry about _that._ ”

“Kankuro…?” Kiba stood up, approaching Kankuro.

“Yes?”

Kiba reached up to give Kankuro a quick kiss. “I think I’m in love with you.”

           


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their relationship established, Kankuro decides to give Kiba the romantic first date he deserves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my fic! I'm so sad it's over, but I have plans to write one-shots in this au later (including a smut fic). This chapter is slightly one-shot in nature but the boys deserved a sappy ending after the angst they've been through.

Kankuro couldn’t recall the exact moment his head hit his pillow and he drifted into the first decent sleep he’s had in weeks. He woke up with the faintest hint of a smile on his lips, as much as a night owl like he could manage at 8am. A flash of memories from the previous night flooded his brain; seeing Kiba at his doorway, kissing him and most importantly, Kiba saying he _loved_ him. The last thought brought a full grin to Kankuro’s lips as he rolled out of bed, reaching for his phone on the nightstand. He opened up his texts to Kiba and typed out a message:

> Kankuro, 8:05am: ‘Morning. You have any plans tonight?
> 
> Kiba, 8:06am: Whatever you’re up to, I guess :)
> 
> Kankuro, 8:06am: Let me take you on a proper date. Something fancy. Pick you up at 6?

Kiba responded with a flurry of heart emojis, which made Kankuro roll his eyes with a smirk. _Good to know I’m dating a complete dork._

He pulled up the website for the fanciest restaurant in Konoha that he was aware of and made an online reservation for them later that night. Returning to his texts, he typed one last message:

> Kankuro, 8:09am: btw, when I say fancy I mean it. You might want to dress up (I will too).

He finished the message with a kissing face emoji, which felt so awkward to him, but he knew Kiba would appreciate it.

* * *

 

Kiba quickly shot off a series of texts to Hinata, Sakura, Ino and Shino asking for their help picking out an outfit for a formal date. The closest thing Kiba owned to “formal” attire was a tuxedo t-shirt, and the thought of how embarrassed Kankuro would be if he wore it tonight was extremely tempting.

Thankfully, everyone in the groupchat was available around noon to help Kiba pick out something for his date. Kiba placed his phone down on his bed with a smile, thankful that his friends had stuck with him through all of his relationship troubles. The moment he left Kankuro’s the night before, he called Hinata, crying tears of joy between incoherent babbles about how happy he was. They were very supportive, and at times overbearing, but if it wasn’t for Hinata, Sakura and Ino’s prodding, he wouldn’t have a date to be getting ready for.

* * *

 

Kiba and his four friends took to the mall, their workplace that they usually viewed as a hell hole, with a new found excitement, mainly in Sakura and Ino as Hinata and Shino kept the group grounded and focused on the task at hand. Their first stop was H&M, where Kiba picked out a light grey button down. Somehow Sakura managed to drag the group to Express next, where Kiba found a pair of black dress pants in a slim fit. The girls made him try on the shirt with the pants in the Express changing room to show off the full look. Kiba emerged from the changing room and held his hands up, giving a weak “Ta-da!” The consensus was a resounding ‘Yes’ from Hinata, Sakura and Ino, but it was Shino’s slight nod of approval that sealed the deal for Kiba. He quickly returned to the changing room to put his old clothes back on and pay for the pants.

The group made their way towards the food court from the eastern wing of the mall, desperate for a pretzel and lemonade. As they approached the center of the mall, Sakura and Ino diverged to talk to their friend Sai, who was in the middle of drawing a caricature for a customer. Kiba flashed a glance towards the North wing of the mall to find Kankuro finishing a transaction with a customer at the piercing pagoda. Kiba looked back at Hinata and Shino with a smile plastered on his face.

“I’ll be right back…” Kiba took off towards the piercing pagoda, shopping bags still in hand. As he got closer, he noticed the smitten expression on the customer, who seemed to be absolutely eating up whatever flirty bullshit Kankuro was dishing out. It wasn’t until Kiba saw the customer signing their receipt and leaving their tip that Kiba continued his saunter over to the counter. Kankuro had his back to the customer, a girl with bright red hair and glasses, as he closed out the transaction on his register. The girl was still fumbling with her wallet and purse when Kiba placed a hand on the counter, knocking on the glass a few times.

“Uh, excuse me, sir!” Kiba tried his best to sound annoyed, but his acting skills were far from impressive. Kankuro whipped around at the sound of the knocks and his expression quickly changed from pissed off to relieved in the manner of seconds.

“Well, well, well…This is a _pleasant_ surprise.” Kankuro was now directing his flirty bullshit at Kiba, standing with a hand on his hip and smile curled devilishly. Kiba rolled his eyes and leaned over the counter to tug on Kakuro’s button down. Kiba pulled his boyfriend down for a kiss, short but passionate. As Kiba pulled back, he left go of Kankuro’s shirt and smoothed out the fabric, “I’ll see you tonight.”

Kankuro and the red headed customer who witnessed the interaction stood frozen with obvious blush covering their faces. Kiba took a quick moment to appreciate the view of the suave Kankuro flustered and gave him a wink before heading back to Hinata and Shino.

* * *

 

The group met back up to get lunch at the food court. They pulled tables and chairs together next to Naruto and Sasuke who were both on their lunch break from Dip’N’Dots.  Naruto motioned to Kiba to take the seat next to him with one of his famous blinding smiles. As Kiba reluctantly sat down, Naruto clasped a hand on his back, “Heard you got yourself a new boyfriend, Keebs! Congrats!”

Naruto beamed at Kiba, but Sasuke sitting across from him had diverting his apathetic gaze towards the kiddie train making its way through the food court. A rather jovial Iruka acted as conductor, excitingly waving at Kiba’s group of friends as the train crawled past at a snail’s pace.

Kiba nodded towards Naruto and started eating his lunch, “Thanks, buddy. Kankuro is a good guy.”

Naruto leaned forward and attempted to lower his voice to a whisper unsuccessfully, “Maybe us four can go on a double date sometime!” Sasuke’s attention snapped back to Naruto, giving him a swift kick to the shins under the table.   
Kiba, stifling back a laugh, raised his eyebrows at the two and whispered, “You two _official_ official? I did hear Sai saying something about a dumpster kiss…”

A hand desperately clutched Kiba’s shoulder. Naruto looked at him with wide eyes, “If you value your ankles, I would stop now.” Sasuke gave a “Tch” and looked away, feigning boredom, but the slight tinge of pink on his otherwise pale skin answered Kiba’s question.

* * *

 

After a long day of shopping and working shifts, the group left the mall and headed back to Kiba’s place around 5pm, giving them just under an hour to get him ready. Shino ironed Kiba’s new shirt and pants, making a quiet comment about Kiba’s _frequent_ use of the iron given that the cord was still wrapped up with a twist tie and covered in a plastic sleeve.

Hinata, Ino and Sakura took to fixing Kiba’s hair and makeup, just as they had done before. Even though it was just Kiba getting ready, it still took the whole hour as Sakura and Ino constantly broke out into song and dance while applying his makeup. Kiba put his freshly ironed grey shirt on, the warmth of the iron still radiating off the fabric as he buttoned it. He went into the bathroom to change into his pants, thin black tie and shoes, stepping out to give his friends a full outfit reveal.

As expected, Sakura and Ino shouted in excitement, and Hinata gave him a warm smile, clapping her hands together. Shino, stoic as ever, approached Kiba and pulled a pair of sunglasses out from his jacket pocket. He placed the glasses in Kiba’s hand and gave him a hint of a smile, “A gift from work. Completes the douche image.”

Kiba snorted and gave Shino a shove, “Wow, _thanks,_ Shino.” He was genuinely thankful, and he slid the sunglasses on to give the full “douche” image. He looked back in the mirror to see himself in his complete look. He smiled, slightly taken back by how unlike himself he looked. From the formal clothes to the piercings he still hadn’t gotten used to, Kiba looked different but _good._ He was starting to get giddy at the idea of Kankuro in his outfit, the look on his boyfriend’s face when he seems him dressed up for once, and _the food. Fuck, I am starving._ Kiba shot a glance at his phone: 5:58pm.

A knock on the door diverted his attention from his phone. Hinata practically flew to the door, looking up at the peephole. She gasped before turning back to look at Kiba with a wide smile, “Oh, Kiba, this is so romantic!”

Kiba stood in place as the other girls shared a quick glance in the peephole too, giving him a giant grin just as Hinata had. When Kankuro knocked again, Kiba took the sunglasses off and finally moved himself to open the door. He swung it open just wide enough for Kankuro to see him, knowing full well that the group was gawking right behind him.

“Wow-“

Kankuro stood in front of him in a dark purple shirt, black tie and pants. His makeup was crisp and matched his shirt perfectly (thanks to Temari’s help) and he held out a bouquet of dark red roses, “Wouldn’t be a fancy date unless I went overboard with the romantic gestures. You want me to serenade you now or at the restaurant?” Kankuro flashed him a smirk.

Kiba took the flowers with a roll of his eyes, “I’ve heard you sing, _no thanks_.” He turned his back to Kankuro to set down the flowers; luckily Kankuro knew Kiba well enough to know he didn’t own a vase so he bought one for him. He walked back to the door, fully ignoring his four friends who stood watch like they were at the movies. As he returned to the door, Kankuro gave him a smile and reached out his hand, “Ready?” Kiba slipped his hand in Kankuro’s and the two left for their date. Kiba and Hinata had already made plans that she would walk and feed Akamaru before the group left his apartment, locking it with the spare key Kiba had given her.

Kankuro and Kiba walked hand-in-hand to Kankuro’s car, where he opened Kiba’s door for him before slipping into the driver’s seat. When the door closed, Kankuro quickly turned to look at Kiba, “You look _amazing_ , by the way. I didn’t say anything earlier because I didn’t want to over-embarrass you in front of our friends.”

_Our friends._ Kiba still liked the ring of that, knowing that Kankuro felt truly welcomed and a part of his friend group.

“You look perfect as always. Honestly, it’s getting a little annoying.” Kiba crossed his arms in fake annoyance.

Kankuro laughed, “What can I say, I’ve got someone important to impress. Oh, before we go, mind playing your “Kankuro” playlist for me again? Maybe start with ‘Like a Virgin’?” A smirk was back on his face.

Kiba now crossed his arms with real annoyance, “You. Are. Insufferable.” He complained through gritted teeth, but still reached for his phone and played the mix.

* * *

 

The restaurant Kankuro picked was e _xtravagant._ The lighting was dim, and the food was microscopic on the large, ornate plates it was served on. Although Kiba would have normally felt so out of place in a setting like this, he couldn’t focus on anything but the man across from him. Their conversation was so natural, a combination of genuine curiosity into the stories the other told, mixed in with the usual suggestive comment or tease. One particular joke cracked by Kiba made the two of them cackle with laughter and they received annoyed glances from the other patrons. They ate, they drank wine, they played footsie under the table like a couple of lovestruck teenagers.

When it was time for dessert, Kankuro and Kiba decided to split a rich slice of dark chocolate cake. By this point, Kiba had drank one too many glasses of wine and was now giving less of a shit than before about anyone else in the restaurant. He picked up his fork, scooped up a bite of cake and leaned forward to hold out the fork to Kankuro.   
“Wanna bite?” Kiba asked in a husky voice, the corner of his mouth curling up to a smile. Kankuro, a bit shocked by the gesture but none the less enticed, brought Kiba’s fork between his lips and took a bite of the cake. Kiba watched as Kankuro licked his lips despite the lack of crumbs on them.

“ _Delicious_.” Kankuro whispered back at his flustered boyfriend. Someone sitting in a table nearby groaned in second-hand embarrassment, but Kiba couldn’t be bothered. He was tipsy, his boyfriend was hot, and more importantly he was _very tipsy._ The pair finished eating the slice of cake non-seductively, and Kankuro took the check when their server returned. Kiba promised to take the next bill, and Kankuro joked that they may be banned from the restaurant for life.

Back at Kankuro’s car, he opened the door for Kiba, helping him slide into his seat. Once settled with the car turned on, Kankuro flashed a glance over at Kiba, “Where to next?”

“My place?” Kiba offered, and Kankuro nodded. There was an unspoken agreement between them that nothing was going to happen tonight, especially with Kiba being slightly intoxicated. He wasn’t completely drunk, but still needed Kankuro to help him up the steps to his apartment complex. While they didn’t have plans for anything sexual, Kankuro still expressed interest in staying the night, which Kiba happily agreed to.

Kiba fished his key out of his pocket and let them both into his apartment. Akamaru was curled up on the bed and quickly sprang to life once they walked through the doorway. Kankuro bent down to pet and play with Akamaru as Kiba disappeared to his bathroom. He came out in only his boxers with a pack of makeup wipes in his hand. Kankuro tried to not let his gaze linger over Kiba’s body, but the sight of his boyfriend half naked in front of him was just too tempting.  

Kiba whistled to Akamaru, who promptly ran towards his owner with the mild obedience he had gotten from his training days. Kiba threw a squeaky toy towards the corner of the room and Akamaru happily chased it down and played with it on his own. Turning back towards Kankuro, Kiba pointed at the bathroom. “Go ahead and change. I can get you a pair of shorts and a shirt if you’d like…”

Kankuro shook his head, “No, I usually just sleep in boxers too.”

There was an awkward silence between them before Kankuro finally moved to the bathroom. He came back out with his formal clothes folded up and placed them on Kiba’s coffee table. Kiba, sitting on the bed, gestured for Kankuro to sit down with him. He obliged, and Kiba quickly sat up and straddled his boyfriend.

“What are-?” Kankuro questioned.

“Calm down. Just taking off your makeup, hot shot.” Kiba brought a makeup wipe up to his face and slowly cleaned up the purple makeup. At first, it just smudged all over Kankuro’s face, turning his whole face purple. Kiba laughed until his sides hurt, the vibrations of his laughter tingling Kankuro’s skin. Three wipes later and Kankuro was finally fresh faced. He returned the favor by cleaning up Kiba’s face. Once they were done, Kiba tossed the wipes in the trash can besides his bed.

Kankuro tilted his head up to capture Kiba’s lips with his own. They kissed for what felt like an eternity, with Kiba’s fingers tangled up in Kankuro’s hair, and Kankuro’s large palms pressed firmly against Kiba’s back.

When they paused to breathe, Kankuro spoke up softly, “Did you have a good night?”

Kiba took a moment to look at Kankuro, taking a mental image of this moment. Kankuro’s eyes were dark, his pupils dilated, and yet there was a shine to them that Kiba never noticed before. Kiba opened his mouth to speak but closed it, still captivated by the sight of his boyfriend before him. He pressed a kiss to Kankuro’s forehead before giving him a soft smile, “I’ve never been happier, Kankuro."

* * *

 

After some time, the slightly inebriated Kiba drifted asleep, limbs intertwined and his head resting against Kankuro’s chest. Akamaru curled up at the foot of the bed and snored loudly, almost loud enough to mask Kiba’s own snores. As Kankuro felt his own eyes get heavy, he ran his hand through Kiba’s hair. He wished he could stay up all night to enjoy this feeling, but sleep was calling to him. Before he drifted off, Kankuro reminded himself of something he’d been meaning to do all night but hadn’t managed to yet…

 

_Tomorrow, I’ll tell him I love him._  

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in a modern mall AU that I came up with on twitter. This is just one of several fics I plan to write in this universe. You can find more info and fanart for this fic on my twitter (@ momsasuke)
> 
> *The main gang is 21-23 in this fic


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